Absolution
by Hatake Satsuki
Summary: After Sasuke killed Itachi and learned the truth from Madara, he regretted his decision to seek revenge, just as Kakashi had told him he would. Now, Sasuke has gone back to Konoha, seeking Kakashi and absolution. AR KakaSasu
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** First off, I don't own the characters, Kishimoto does. I just own the story.

This piece was inspired by a gorgeous picture of Sasuke sleeping in Kakashi's bed by one of my favorite artists on y!Gallery. Sorry it's been so long since I've posted something new. I've mostly been doing original fiction with my two character Daitan and Kamoku. Or writing pure smut. I won't post that here. So, enjoy my latest work! Thanks in advance for any and all reviews!

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Sasuke stood at a familiar door, for once, the rain that had been pounding him for days was forgotten. His misery at being soaked so completely for so long was lost in the flood of memories. Clenching his jaws hard enough to make the tendons creak, and his hands into fists, Sasuke closed his eyes and forced the memories aside so he could concentrate. Letting just the slightest crack in his tight reign on his chakra slip open, he threaded out the barest streamer of his chakra and pushed it through the door into the apartment that lay beyond. It took only a few moments for Sasuke to ascertain that the apartment was empty. He wasn't home. Sasuke glanced back over his shoulder as he shut down his chakra again, making sure no one happened to be walking by when he'd released that whisper thin stream of chakra. Seeing no one moving through the rain soaked night, Sasuke turned his attention back to the door, beginning an internal debate. Did he let himself in, or did he go home and wait for him to return? The debate was over as soon as it had begun. He'd come back to Konoha with only one thought on his mind: Talking to Kakashi.

Looking around guiltily one last time, Sasuke fed another small stream of his chakra into the door, this time using the chakra to pick the lock that kept him out. Just as his hand settled on the doorknob he sensed the trap Kakashi had set on the door, a second lock that would let him know if anyone had managed to get into his apartment while he was away. Cursing softly because he'd almost missed the trap and set it off, Sasuke pulled his hand back from the doorknob and concentrated that thin trickle of chakra on the trap, carefully untangling the lines of chakra that made up the trap. His own emotions and thoughts in a much more tangled jumble, Sasuke found it hard to concentrate and nearly triggered the trap several times before finally loosening it, releasing the trap.

Letting loose a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding, Sasuke did one last check with his chakra to be sure he hadn't missed any other traps, then opened the door and slipped in out of the cold rain. Closing the door behind him, he stood dripping in the entryway as his gaze scanned the small, dark apartment. It had been years since he'd set foot into the apartment, but it was exactly as he remembered it. Another flood of memories filled Sasuke's mind and he felt himself aching for everything he'd lost to his youth and his ignorance. His heart heavy, and misery gnawing at his stomach, Sasuke pushed the memories aside and crouched down to remove his soaking wet shoes, dropping them to the side of the door. Stepping out onto the cold wooden floor, Sasuke reached up with numb fingers to untie the front of his cloak, letting it fall from his shoulders, catching it just before it could crumple to the floor. Looking back at the hooks on the wall next to the door meant for hanging one's cloak, Sasuke shook his head and draped the heavy, dripping cloth over his arm and walked silently across the room to the bathroom. Without bothering to turn on the light, Sasuke draped the cloak over the edge of the bathtub.

Moving back out into the front of the apartment, Sasuke found himself wandering around the small apartment, looking at Kakashi's sparse belongings, his gaze inevitably finding the picture of Team 7, taken shortly after they been made an official four-man cell. Stepping over to the side of the bed, Sasuke picked the picture up, cupping the frame loosely between shaking hands. He gaze traveled over the faces of his former teammates, dismissing his own scowl before moving on to Sakura and then Naruto. Lifting his head, Sasuke looked up at the dark ceiling, trying not to let his regrets take over his thoughts again. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke dropped his gaze back to the picture, looking at last at his former sensei. He took in the crinkled eye, the only sign anyone ever got that the silver-haired jounin was smiling and felt a single, sharp stab of regret.

"Why didn't I listen to you when I had the chance, Sensei?" Sasuke asked the picture, wishing for an answer he knew the photograph couldn't provide.

Catching himself just before he sat on the edge of the bed, Sasuke set the picture back in its place next to the picture of his mentor's first team. Sasuke glanced only briefly at the Uchiha that had died before he was even born, then at the young Kakashi, noting in the back of his mind how little the man had changed when he grew up. Sighing, Sasuke looked down at his wet clothes and grunted in irritation. Turning on a heel, Sasuke walked through the room to the bathroom, stripping himself of his soaked clothing in the dark. He paused once, fingers hooked in the edge of his pants, ready to pull them off as the thought that he should have gone by his own student apartment before he came here, picked up some dry clothes slipped into the mind he'd been fighting so desperately to keep blank for the past several days.

Shrugging irritably, Sasuke pushed the pants down and stepped out of them, muttering to himself as he moved to drape them over the tub with the rest of his clothes, "That place has probably long since been cleaned out, Uchiha, don't be stupid. Besides, it's been nearly three years, my old clothes wouldn't fit me anymore anyway."

Sasuke paused, looking down at his boxers and frowning. They were soaking wet as was the rest of him, and as such weren't exactly comfortable, but he didn't relish the idea of walking around his former sensei-turned-mentor's apartment naked. Grunting, Sasuke pushed the boxers down around his feet. He stepped out with his left foot then used his right to fling the soaked material into the bathtub. He turned and grabbed a towel from the cabinet and began to vigorously dry himself. Finished, he hung the towel on the towel rack beside the tub to allow it to dry. Grabbing another clean towel from the cabinet, Sasuke wrapped it around his waist and stepped back out of the bathroom, going over and sitting on the edge of Kakashi's bed now.

For the first time since he'd stepped foot back in Konoha after nearly three years, Sasuke began to wonder if he'd made a mistake. He'd been declared a rogue ninja long ago, and as such, to be caught back in the village now would guarantee him a trip to the Konoha prison. While part of him didn't care if he wound up there after he killed his brother and found out the truth, a larger part of him rebelled against the idea. He didn't want to be taken away until he'd had a chance to talk to Kakashi. He needed to talk to the other man. It was the only clear thought he'd had since he'd gotten up in the middle of the night and slipped away from his new team. That one thought, the need, had driven him relentlessly, scarcely stopping to rest on the long trip to the village he had once called home. Now that he was there however, and Kakashi wasn't, Sasuke found himself at a loss, not knowing what to do. He would wait for Kakashi as long as he had to, but he didn't know how long he could go unnoticed. As long as he was awake he could keep his chakra suppressed. With Kakashi away, presumably on a mission, there wasn't likely to be anyone coming by his apartment. Chances were still higher than was comfortable for Sasuke that someone would notice his presence and report him to the Hokage.

Dry for the first time in days, and beginning to warm up, Sasuke felt the exhaustion that he'd been denying as he drove himself relentlessly to get to Konoha and his mentor beginning to wash over him, too strong now to be denied. Thinking it was a bad idea, but unable to resist the need for sleep, Sasuke slid back on the bed, pulling the blanket back and slipping underneath. Pulling the blanket up over himself, Sasuke snuggled down into the bed as the scent of the bed's owner wafted around him, further relaxing him, making him feel safe. With one last glance at the old picture that showed a life long since lost, Sasuke let his eyes drift closed, and sleep claimed him within moments.

~*~*~

Kakashi trudged wearily up the stairs to his apartment. It was just before dawn and the rain that had plagued him through most of his mission had finally stopped, leading him to the decision to leave the shelter he'd sought in order to dry out and finish his trip home in the middle of the night so he could sleep in his own bed. Looking up at the slowly lightening sky, Kakashi fished the key to his apartment from his equipment pouch. Sliding the key into the lock by habit, not needing to look, Kakashi let loose a long, noisy yawn. Once the door was unlocked he turned his attention away from the sky and back to his door. When he reached out with his chakra to disable the trap he always set at his door, he finally noticed the faint signature of a strange chakra emanating from his apartment. Taking a half-step back and cursing his negligence, Kakashi reached out with his chakra to get a better feel for the chakra signature he'd picked up on. It was a familiar chakra, and yet... not. He felt like he should know who the owner of that chakra was, but he couldn't quite place it.

Frowning, Kakashi reached back and pulled a kunai from his equipment pouch. Stepping back up to the door, he sent his chakra to test his lock, not surprised to find it had already been disabled. Glancing around to make sure no one hid outside his apartment to join the one inside, Kakashi braced himself. Warily, he twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open slowly. When no attack came, he pushed it a little farther open until he was able to see into his darkened apartment. The gray light of oncoming dawn, hidden behind the remnants of clouds reached far enough into his apartment to allow him to see the puddle that was drying in front of his door, foot prints leading deeper into the apartment. Glancing around, Kakashi spotted the shoes sitting wetly next to the door. His tension eased back slightly at that sight. Stepping into the apartment, Kakashi closed and locked the door behind him. He took a moment to reset the trap over his door before turning his attention back into the apartment. Slipping out of his shoes so that he could move silently, Kakashi moved deeper into his apartment, following the trail of water, heading in the direction of the owner of the almost familiar chakra signature.

Stepping into his room, Kakashi nearly dropped the kunai in his hand when he saw the shape of someone laying in his bed. Moving carefully to the side, Kakashi noticed that the pillow had been knocked to the floor and lay half propped against the side of the bed. Moving a little further in an attempt to get a look at who it was laying in his bed, Kakashi cursed silently when the nightstand next to his bed blocked the person's upper body, therefore his face, from view. Debating for a moment, Kakashi finally decided to move closer to the bed. He could tell the man in his bed was asleep. His breathing was deep and even, a sleeper's breathing. He knew there was a chance that it was just well controlled breathing, but he couldn't image anyone would break into his apartment to ambush him in such an elaborate fashion. Keeping a tight grip on the kunai, ready for anything, Kakashi moved up to the edge of the bed. Seeing who it was asleep in his bed, Kakashi stumbled back a step, the kunai dropping from his hand to clunk loudly on the floor in his surprise.

Holding his breath, Kakashi watched the sleeping form until he was sure that the young man hadn't awakened from the sound. Bending down, he picked up the dropped kunai. He started to put it back in the pouch, then stopped himself. He didn't know what his former student was doing here, and he thought it better to keep a weapon handy until he knew for sure. Walking back over to the edge of the bed, Kakashi bent down and looked more closely, confirming for himself that it was indeed Sasuke asleep in his bed. The young man had stretched out right in the center of the bed. Presumably after he'd knocked the pillow to the floor, he'd shifted in his sleep so that his head rested on his arm. Black hair and slipped down into the boy's face, but didn't hide him at all from Kakashi. He knew he'd recognize that face any where and any time. In his sleep, Sasuke looked peaceful, and the beauty that seemed inherent in much of the Uchiha clan was more obvious than ever. Without the near constant scowl to mar his features, Sasuke had a beauty that made Kakashi's breath catch in his throat. Kneeling down beside the bed, Kakashi let the kunai drop to the floor next to himself, and his hand twitched with the desire to reach out and brush the hair from Sasuke's face. Unsure of the reason for this desire, Kakashi pushed it aside, ignoring it for the time being.

Sasuke stirred, groaning softly as he began to pull himself back to wakefulness. Kakashi knew the instant that the last Uchiha was fully awake because his chakra signature vanished from the room. Moving back slightly, Kakashi waited for Sasuke to look at him. He wasn't trying to dampen his chakra anymore, so he knew Sasuke knew he was next to him. When at last those black eyes that had always watched him so sharply opened and turned to him, Kakashi felt a sharp pang of regret that he'd been unable to keep Sasuke in Konoha, to make the boy understand that what he had was far better than what he sought.

"Sensei," Sasuke murmured, drawing Kakashi from his contemplation of his guilt.

"Sasuke. What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked bluntly.

Frowning, Sasuke sat up, catching the blanket as it slid off of himself. Kakashi caught the sight of a towel balled up next to Sasuke under the blanket before he pulled the blanket back into place, covering himself from the neck down. Kakashi knew in that instant that Sasuke was naked and his reaction to this knowledge was not one he could understand. Before he could dwell on it for long, Sasuke answered, drawing him from his thoughts yet again. "I killed Itachi. I killed my brother."

"I know you did, Sasuke. I've known since shortly after it happened. We weren't far away when you fought your brother. One of the Akatsuki kept us away from the fight however. Another brought the news of your victory and Itachi's death," Kakashi replied mater-of-factly.

Sasuke looked at him, an intensity in his eyes that Kakashi both expected, and yet was surprised to see. "I killed him. I killed my big brother!"

"Sasuke," Kakashi began before being cut off.

"I should have listened to you, Sensei! Why didn't you make me listen to you?"

Kakashi snorted and stood up. Bending down, he picked up the kunai from the floor and shoved it back into the equipment pouch before walking across the room to grab the chair from his desk. Moving back to Sasuke, he dropped the chair next to the bed and flopped down in it, hands laying limply on his legs. "Nobody could make you do anything you didn't want to when you were thirteen, Sasuke," he finally answered.

"You were the adult! You were my sensei! You should have made me listen! You should have tied me up until I listened!"

"As I said, Sasuke, no one could make you do anything you didn't want to do. I _did_ tie you up and make you listen once. I thought I'd gotten through to you too. You left that night. What more could I have done? I had to let go of that guilt a long time ago or I'd have gotten myself killed on a mission. I can't control the actions of others. I did the best I knew how to do. I just underestimated the level of your pain and determination. You made up your mind what you wanted when you were a boy, there was no dissuading you. But you've learned that I was right all along, haven't you Sasuke? Killing Itachi just left you more empty than you already were. It accomplished nothing."

His face drawing up as if tears were threatening, Sasuke looked away for a moment. When he looked back he was scowling, but the scowl couldn't hide the pain in his eyes. "I thought I'd be happy when he died. Especially when he died by my hand." Pausing, the scowl slipped, leaving Sasuke looking like the vulnerable boy he'd never allowed himself to be after his clan was slaughtered. "I started to regret my decision the moment the light began to fade from his eyes," Sasuke continued quietly. "Then I found out the truth about that night. He didn't want to kill the clan. He did it on an order. He was supposed to kill me too, but he couldn't. He protected me my whole life. When I found him with our dead parents, he protected me again by feeding me that lie. He made me grow strong. He made me the ninja I am. He did it all because he loved me. And I killed him for it!"

Kakashi frowned as he listened to Sasuke's story. Itachi killed his clan on an order? An order from whom? And why was Sasuke still alive if the entire clan was supposed to have been eradicated? Pushing his questions aside, Kakashi focused on the pale, raven-haired boy, huddled miserably in the middle of his bed. "Why are you here Sasuke? What do you want?"

"I don't know. After I killed Itachi I knew I'd made the wrong choice. Then, when I woke up and Madara told me the truth about what happened I wanted to run. I wanted to run from what I did, from my guilt. It seemed that if I ran hard enough, fast enough, that I'd be able to outrun what I did. Take it back. Of course, in the back of my mind, I knew that wasn't true. When I went back to my team, I decided what I needed was to come home. I needed to talk to you. So, in the middle of the night I slipped away and started for home. I remembered what you told me the afternoon before I left the village, and remembering those truths, I just knew you'd be able to tell me what to do. I need you to tell me how I make this all right again."

Kakashi winced behind his mask at the desperation he heard in the young man's voice. Turning away, Kakashi stood up and moved across the room, unfastening his equipment pouch and putting it away. Lifting his hand slowly, he untied his _hitae-ate_ and let it slide down to rest in his hands. He stared at it silently for a moment before speaking again, not bothering to turn to face Sasuke across the dimly lit room. "What you seek I can't give you."

"But, Sensei! I--"

"No, Sasuke," Kakashi interrupted sharply. "No, what you want is a way to assuage the guilt that's eating at your soul, and I can't offer you that. You have to find that path yourself. You have to find the way to atone for what you did on your own. It's not an easy quest you are about to undertake, I can tell you that. And the guilt will never go away, not completely. You're strong enough to walk that path though, Sasuke, I have faith in you."

"How can you have faith in me after everything I've done?"

Kakashi smiled sadly behind his mask and shook his head, finally laying the _hitae-ate_ next to the equipment pouch. "Because I know who you are at heart. I never would have trained you like I did if I didn't know that you are a good man inside."

"A good man," Sasuke said bitterly. "Maybe once, but now I'm just a murderer. I murdered my brother for loving me and protecting me."

Sighing in frustration and feeling his earlier exhaustion seeping into him again, Kakashi turned to face Sasuke. "No, you killed your brother for the lies he fed you. If what you say is true and he lied to protect you and to make you strong, then it seems likely to me that he not only knew you'd kill him some day, but he _wanted_ you to. As you now seek absolution for the death of your brother, Itachi sought absolution for the death of your clan, and he found that absolution at your hands. And before you get any stupid ideas, no I am not telling you to go get yourself killed. Not only would that not give you the absolution you seek, it'd fly in the face of everything you say your brother did to protect you."

"Then what should I do? I need answers, Sensei."

"The answers you seek I don't have, Sasuke. Only you can provide those answers, just as only you can provide the forgiveness you seek."

"Forgiveness," Sasuke murmured, his gaze lowering to the blanket he still held up, covering himself. "I don't think I can ever forgive myself for what I did."

Kakashi moved silently across the room, once more sitting in the chair he'd set next to the bed. Reaching over he picked up the photograph of his first team, his gaze locked on Obito's scowling visage. "You think that now, but some day you'll find the way."

When Sasuke said nothing, Kakashi finally set the picture back down on the nightstand and looked at him again. The boy looked even paler than he normally did, and in the growing light Kakashi could see that the black rings around his eyes weren't caused by shadows as he'd thought, but by an exhaustion of both body and spirit. Sighing, Kakashi lifted a hand and pushed his fingers back through the unruly silver locks on his head. Dropping his hands again, Kakashi began to remove his gloves, wondering if he was ever going to sleep again.

"Lay down Sasuke, go back to sleep. I'll make sure no one finds you while you sleep. When you wake up, you can take that first step toward absolution by going to the Hokage. Face up to whatever punishment she deems appropriate for your actions and it will help you begin the healing process."

Surprisingly, Sasuke didn't argue with him for once. Instead he laid back on the bed, pulling the blanket up tightly around himself once more. After a few moments Kakashi heard Sasuke shift on the bed and he turned his gaze back from the window he'd been staring out of to look at the boy who was now laying on his side facing him. "Sasuke?"

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei."

"I told you, Sasuke, I can't give you the forgiveness you seek."

Sasuke shook his head slowly, black eyes staring intently into Kakashi's one open eye. "No, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you that day. I'm sorry I left. I'll apologize to Sakura and Naruto too when I see them."

Smiling behind his mask, Kakashi leaned back on the hard chair and nodded to Sasuke. "Thank you for that, and I accept your apology. Though Naruto might be a slightly harder nut to crack."

"That idiot will forgive me because if I'm back he can resume his competition with me."

"You may very well be right. Sleep now, Sasuke. If I'm going to miss out on sleep, you better get yourself well rested."

When Sasuke rolled over onto his stomach, pillowing his head on his arm again, Kakashi bent over and picked up the pillow from the floor. Half standing, he dropped the pillow onto the chair and sat down on it with a silent sigh of relief, wondering why he'd never bothered to get a more comfortable chair for his desk. When Sasuke's breathing slowed and deepened, evening out as he drifted to sleep, Kakashi reached up and grabbed his mask, pulling it down so that he could rub tiredly at his face. Taking a deep breath, he reached out with his chakra and masked Sasuke's so that no one that happened by would feel the boy's chakra. After a few minutes he pushed to his feet and picked the chair up, heading back over to his desk.

"I suppose I may as well do my report if I'm not going to get to sleep."

Kakashi sat at the desk for only a few minutes before pushing the report aside. Looking back over his shoulder at Sasuke, Kakashi sighed and pushed to his feet. Walking back over to the bed, Kakashi reached out and picked up one of his books, _Make-Out Tactics_, from its place on the nightstand. Moving back to his desk, he turned the chair so that it once more faced the bed. Just before he sat down a small pain noise coming from the bed drew Kakashi's attention. Frowning, he moved back to the bed and looked down at Sasuke. The boy's brow was knit and a hard frown had pulled down the corners of his mouth. Giving in to his earlier impulse, Kakashi reached out and gently smoothed the black hair out of the young man's face, then just left his hand laying against Sasuke's forehead until the frown smoothed away and he grew quiet again. With a smile, Kakashi turned and went back to the chair, taking up his book and settling himself in for a long day.


	2. Chapter 2

Sasuke jerked awake, the last sticky tendrils of a half remembered nightmare clinging persistently to his mind like a mental cobweb, leaving his mind unfocused and confused. Sitting up, Sasuke rubbed his hand vigorously over his face to banish those cobwebs. As his mind cleared he began to register details that set his heart racing wildly. He didn't know where he was, and the bed he could feel under his butt wasn't one that was familiar to him. A chakra signature that was familiar, but somehow vague, as if from the distant past and long forgotten, filled the room. The last blow to Sasuke's mind was that he was naked. Dropping his hands from his face he glanced around the dimly lit room until his gaze settled on the owner of the chakra signature, sitting across the room and watching him intently from one open eye.

"Good morning, Sasuke," Kakashi murmured soothingly.

As he stared at him, Sasuke began to remember his desperate flight from his new team, Hebi. He remembered his almost desperate need to return to Konoha, to return to his former sensei and find the answers that he needed. He'd broken into Kakashi's small apartment and waited for the older man to return, only to find that the sensei he remembered didn't exist because his desperate need to deny his mistakes and undo his decisions had idealized the man in his memories. But, he also remembered Kakashi's promise to help him find the way to the absolution he so desperately needed.

Looking at the intense gaze that he could just make out in the dim light of the room, Sasuke also remembered how he'd made himself a fool, all but begging the man to make it the way it was, to turn back time and stop his foolish flight from Konoha. Turning away from that intense, knowing gaze, Sasuke stared instead at the shuriken pattern on the blanket that was pooled in his lap. "How long have I been asleep, I feel half dead," Sasuke asked, his voice little more than a croak.

Getting up from the chair he'd been sitting on, Kakashi walked from the room, returning a few moments later with a glass of water that he held out to Sasuke. Sasuke took the water gratefully and drank deeply as Kakashi moved back across the room to resume his spot, slouching in the chair as if this were a normal day for him and he hadn't the slightest care in the world. Sasuke quelled the flare of irritation that arose in him and looked down at the glass clasped between his hands as he listened to Kakashi speak. "I'd say close to two days now. Which, I think I should probably let you know that I'm very low on chakra, so if you want to continue to hide your chakra signature until you've spoken to Lady Hokage, you better start doing it yourself."

Shocked to learn he'd slept for two days, and grasping quickly the implications this meant, it took Sasuke several tries to master himself and dampen his own chakra signature. This also gave him the time he needed to collect his thoughts. Drinking the last of the water, Sasuke set the glass aside and turned his head to look at Kakashi across the room again. "You've been awake this whole time? You've sat there hiding my chakra signature with no sleep, for two days?"

Kakashi nodded and smiled, his eyes crinkling, the one open eye now closed. "Pretty much, yes."

"Why would you do that?"

Kakashi shrugged, and though the smile stayed in place, Sasuke got the feeling that the smile was now fake, more a mask than an actual gesture. "Because you needed me to. Because _I_ needed me to."

"Why?"

"Because I still harbor some of my old guilt for having failed you three years ago. I thought I'd let it all go, but seeing you laying in my bed, tossing and turning and groaning with the nightmares that plagued your sleep, some of that old familiar guilt was born once again in my heart."

"You didn't fail me, Sensei, I failed you. And I failed Sakura and Naruto. I failed myself." After a pause, Sasuke looked away, staring once more at the shuriken pattern that was coming more and more clear as the light continued to grow. After a few breaths he added, bitterly, "I failed Itachi."

"Well, I agree you failed yourself, but that's part of growing up. If you never fail, you never learn. It's part of being human. Not one of us is perfect, no matter how much we might think we are, or wish to be. As for the rest of us, no, you haven't failed us. That idea puts too much pressure on your shoulders, expecting to live up to the expectations of everyone around you. Nobody could do that. Certainly not a thirteen year old boy with a broken and empty heart."

Sasuke turned and looked at Kakashi again, then grabbed the blanket and pulled it more firmly around himself as he moved over closer to the edge of the bed. "I screwed up everything I touched."

"You were a kid, Sasuke. What did you expect?"

Sasuke was quiet for a while as he thought about the question, growing more and more uncomfortable in the silence that stretched on as he could think of nothing to say that wouldn't make him sound like a fool. "I don't think I had any expectations other than killing Itachi and feeling vindicated; relieved. But that was just a lie."

Kakashi nodded and stood up, turning to walk out of the room. He stopped just before he vanished from sight and looked back over his shoulder at Sasuke. "Your clothes are still in the bathroom, but they're clean now. I sent a clone to wash your clothes while you slept, since they seem to be the only set you have. I also sent my clone to tell the Hokage that I needed a private audience with her this afternoon. Go take a shower, get dressed and come eat breakfast. If you want to talk after we eat, I'll be glad to talk until time for your appointment with the Hokage."

When Kakashi turned away again, Sasuke could only stare in stunned silence. After a few moments, he found his voice and called out quietly, "Kakashi-sensei?"

The silver-haired man returned, sticking his head in the doorway to smile at him. "Yes, Sasuke?"

"Didn't making a shadow clone to wash my clothes and get that message to the Hokage drain your chakra? How could you manage that and still keep my chakra signature hidden?"

Kakashi shrugged and just continued to smile at Sasuke in a most frustrating manner. "It needed doing, so I did it."

Before Sasuke could form a reply or even grasp the particulars of what he'd just heard, Kakashi vanished from the doorway again. Sasuke sat on the edge of the bed for a while after that as the light continued to grow around him. Feeling an aching in his chest, Sasuke lifted a fist to press over his heart, trying to understand the ache he felt. When his gaze drifted back to the picture of Team 7, he felt tears begin to threaten and he wiped a hand angrily across his face. Ignoring the aching in his chest, Sasuke threw the blanket off, then hurried across the bedroom to the awaiting bathroom, glancing back over his shoulder as he moved to make sure Kakashi didn't step back into the room for some reason and catch him moving naked across the room. When he was safely in the bathroom with the door closed, Sasuke closed his eyes and let the tension that had kept him stiff from the moment he'd awakened drain away, leaving him limp and tired.

Reaching out to the side, Sasuke fumbled in the dark to find the light switch, flicking it on. Pushing away from the door, Sasuke opened his eyes and looked at the bathroom. His clothes, clean and folded lay on the counter next to the sink. The towels he'd used were gone, presumably cleaned as well and put away. Moving over to the counter, Sasuke picked up his clothes and stared at them. To Sasuke they represented all the mistakes he'd made in his life. Frowning, Sasuke balled his hands into fists, wrinkling the cloth between clenched fingers. Slamming the clothes back down onto the counter, Sasuke leaned forward, hands braced on either side of the clothes, arms stiff and head hanging between his arms. When he felt he had a better control on the sudden spurt of anger, Sasuke stood up again and stared down at the clothes, trying to decide what he was going to do. Moving away from the clothes, Sasuke pulled a towel from the cabinet and set it on the counter beside his clothes, then moved over to the shower, his mind whirling with options for replacing his clothing.

His mind filled with mundane thoughts, Sasuke moved over and started the shower, setting the water temperature as hot as he could stand, then stepped into the spray of water, sighing in pleasure. He just stood there, his mind whirling happily along with such pointless thoughts as replacing clothing he no longer wanted. Once he was finished with his shower, Sasuke had made a decision about his clothing and felt greatly refreshed, not just from the shower, but also from the time of bland thinking. It was the first time since he'd killed Itachi that he'd not thought of anything difficult or painful. Grabbing the towel, Sasuke began to dry himself with quick, vigorous movements, not noticing when he began to hum a soft tune under his breath.

Clean and dry, Sasuke paused to drape the wet towel over the rack next to the shower to allow it to dry, then grabbed another towel and wrapped it around his waist, snugly. Giving his clothes one last unhappy glance, Sasuke stepped out of the bathroom. Seeing the bedroom was still empty, Sasuke frowned, realizing then that he'd assumed Kakashi would have returned while he showered, though he wasn't sure why he'd thought that. Moving through the room, Sasuke heard quiet noises coming from the front of the small apartment. When he stepped out of the room, his gaze immediately settled on his former sensei where he stood at the counter in the kitchen, his back to Sasuke as he did something Sasuke couldn't see.

"Are you ready for breakfast, Sasuke?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess. Look, I need to ask you something, Sensei."

"Sure, Sasuke, what do you--" Kakashi began as he turned to face Sasuke. He gave a short, awkward pause as he took in Sasuke standing at the small kitchen in nothing but a towel. Shaking himself, he finished his sentence as if he hadn't paused, "--need? Ask away!"

Sasuke smirked at the older man, though he had no idea what had made the normally stoic Kakashi stumble like that. "I was wondering if I could borrow some of your clothes until I can get some more of my own."

Frowning, Kakashi turned back to the counter and picked up two plates, moving them to the small table that sat in the corner. It was barely big enough for two, but it was the only place to eat unless you wanted to stand. "Borrow my clothes? What for? I washed your clothes, and didn't see any holes or anything."

Sasuke moved across the small kitchen and pulled out one of the two chairs that were set at the table and sat down, eyeing the food in front of him. "Yeah, well, I don't want to wear those clothes anymore. They represent a past I'd rather forget." After a pause, Sasuke glanced up at Kakashi who was still standing next to the table. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, Sasuke motioned to the food. "I didn't know you could cook."

Smiling behind his mask, Kakashi pulled his own chair out and sat down, though he made no move to eat. "There are a great many things you don't know about me, Sasuke. Now, as for your clothing and mine, I don't think anything I have will fit you. You've grown, Sasuke, but you're still shorter than me, and I'd say I outweigh you by at least thirty pounds. And forgetting your past is out of the question. No matter how much you run it will always be there. Besides, if you just forget every mistake you made, you'll never learn to not repeat those mistakes. The absolution you seek won't be found unless you look for it, and you're going to have to start that search by facing up to your past."

Sasuke grunted irritably. He knew Kakashi was right, as he usually was, but it didn't make things any easier to accept. Staring at the food in front of him, Sasuke began to eat, barely noticing that the food was actually quite good. After several minutes of silent pouting and after having eaten half of the food on his plate, Sasuke finally lifted his head and looked at Kakashi again, finding his mentor watching him with that same intense look he'd seen earlier that morning when he'd first awakened. When he realized that Kakashi hadn't touched his own food, Sasuke frowned and sat back, looking steadily back at the older man. Several memories flashed through his mind and he realized that in all the time he'd spent with Kakashi as his student, he'd never once seen the older man eat.

"Don't you ever eat?" Sasuke snapped irritably.

Kakashi only smiled, his right eye closing and crinkling again. Even more irritated by the smile than the lack of an answer, Sasuke turned his attention back to his food and started eating again, realizing he was pouting like a spoiled child who'd had his candy taken away, but unable to stop himself. When he finished his food, he sat back and frowned, realizing he was still hungry even though there'd been a generous amount of food on the plate. He hadn't eaten much after he'd killed Itachi, and the trip back to Konoha had been long and hard. Sasuke took few breaks to rest, and on the rare occasions he had stopped to rest, he hadn't even thought about eating. Now, his body was reminding him just how long he'd starved it and he felt mildly embarrassed for it. Before he could come up with a way to request more food without damaging his already shredded pride, Kakashi's scarred hand slipped into his line of sight, pulling the empty plate from under his gaze and replacing it with the full plate that had sat in front of him uneaten since he sat down.

Looking up at Kakashi as he stood and took the plate to the small sink next to the stove, Sasuke frowned and leaned back in the chair. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Kakashi shook his head and turned away from the sink and headed toward the bedroom door as he replied. "Too tired to eat right now. I'll eat when I wake up. I made the food for you. You're scrawny Sasuke, I knew you hadn't been eating, and I knew you'd be hungry." Kakashi paused outside of the bedroom and turned his head to look back at Sasuke. "Don't worry, I'll wake up before your appointment with the Hokage. Before I sleep, I have three requests to make of you, if you'll indulge me."

Sasuke stared at Kakashi for a moment longer, then looked back at the food in front of him. "Sure. Who am I to say no when you're helping me?"

"You're a very proud Uchiha, that's who. First, please be sure you place your plate in the sink when you're finished eating. I'll wash the dishes when I get back from the Hokage's mansion later. Second, when you come through the bedroom to go get dressed, please be as quiet as you can. I'm so tired the chances of you waking me are pretty slim, but let's not take any unnecessary chances, shall we? And last, try to keep your newly returning attitude to a minimum we you see the Hokage later this afternoon."

Sasuke whipped his head around to stare at Kakashi in shock. He hadn't expected the last, and he felt insulted by the implication. "I'm not the same bratty kid you used to teach, Kakashi!"

Kakashi smiled again, making Sasuke grit his teeth in irritation. "You weren't when I first found you in my room, no. But since you've rested, I've seen signs of that old brat peeking out again. I know how difficult it is for you to let yourself be vulnerable Sasuke, but you let me see that side of you, so I know you have it. I'm not asking you to show that side to the Hokage, just don't go to the other extreme. Save that softer side of yourself for me, and I promise I not only won't tell anyone else about it, but I'll help you heal the rift between that side of you, and the side you've shown the world all these years so that you can be a whole man. Use that pride, anger and general bad attitude to help drive yourself toward fixing what's broken." After only the slightest pause, Kakashi grinned and finished his thought. "However, every time you're a little brat to me, I'll treat you like a brat, even if it comes right down to turning you over my knee and spanking you. It won't be long at all before you start acting like the grown man you are now."

Before the anger had a chance to flare completely in his chest, the grinning Kakashi had vanished into his room, closing the door behind him. Sasuke sat seething at the table for a few moments, then forced himself to calm down. As he calmed, he remembered the way he'd been when Kakashi had returned, his presence drawing Sasuke from his fitful sleep. He'd seen something in Kakashi then that he'd never seen before, and it had comforted him even as his heart and mind had continued to roil with uncertainty. Through all the confusion he knew that Kakashi would be there for him every step of the way if he was just willing to let him get that close. Sasuke knew that he had automatically started pushing the man away, holding him at arm's length as they talked, afraid to let him get too close. Blushing for maybe the first time in his life as embarrassment burned in him, Sasuke ducked his head and concentrated on eating, trying not to think about how much of a stupid kid he still was.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you everyone that commented and chatted with me about this story. It was those comments and conversations that stirred my muse into turning a sad little one-shot into a sad multi-chapter story! ;) Ok, here's hoping for a happy ending, but I can honestly say at this moment, I don't know how it's going to end. (But, of course, the obvious ending would be Kakashi and Sasuke together. :D But how to get there? lol)

I struggled a bit with this chapter. It wrote quickly and easily, but it was hard walking that fine line between the brat Sasuke used to be and the more mature man he's on the verge of becoming. I wasn't sure if I got it quite right, so I'll leave that question for those that read this. Did I go too far one way or the other, or do you think I balanced the two well?

Random note, I love Kakashi in this chapter. (Yes, I always love him.) Watching the ever practical Kakashi nettle Sasuke is fun. :D He can't go too easy on him or he'll run again. :/


	3. Chapter 3

Kakashi lay on his back, staring up at the dimly lit ceiling and unable to sleep. Exhaustion had been pulling at him when he'd arrived home two days before and it had only continued to grow as he kept his vigil beside his former student, but now that he could take the time to sleep, it wouldn't come. His mind whirled with the implications of Sasuke's return to him. Sasuke hadn't returned to the village, Sasuke and returned to _him_. Kakashi had always felt he'd failed Sasuke and all of Team 7 when he'd been unable to keep the boy in Konoha, but Sasuke's urge to return to Konoha, to seek him out for advice and help told Kakashi that he hadn't failed the boy quite as completely as he had at first thought.

"Boy," Kakashi murmured, then shook his head. "He's not a boy anymore Hatake, he's grown into a man physically, and he's well on his way to becoming a many mentally as well. His emotional growth will probably take quite a bit longer than anything else though."

Sighing, Kakashi rolled himself onto his side, staring at the wall beside his bed now instead of the ceiling. He tugged the blanket up more snugly around his shoulders, then nuzzled down into the bed and forced his mind to empty as he closed his eyes, willing sleep to come. As he relaxed himself bit by bit, Kakashi noticed that his bed now smelled strongly of Sasuke. Eyes snapping open, Kakashi cursed silently and lifted a hand to rub his face through his mask. Making a mental note to change his bedsheets before they left for the appointment with the Hokage, Kakashi forced his mind blank and his eyes closed again. But, try as he might, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about Sasuke. As if summoned by his thoughts, Kakashi heard Sasuke move silently into the room, heading for the bathroom. Opening his eyes, Kakashi stared at the wall, frowning hard enough to make his face ache.

"What's wrong with you, Hatake? Stop thinking about the boy and go to sleep already," he murmured irritably. After a pause, he sighed and closed his eyes again, whispering, "Young man, he's a young man now."

As if that revelation or acceptance had cleared away whatever was keeping him from relaxing into sleep, Kakashi felt himself begin to at last sink toward sleep. He barely heard the quiet movement of Sasuke slipping out of the bathroom and moving back into the front of the apartment. A small smile curling the corners of his mouth upward under his mask, Kakashi slipped gratefully into the dark relief of sleep. Dreams haunted him, most would forever remain mostly forgotten, leaving behind only a tantalizingly fleet feeling of strong emotion. Other dreams were more vivid and familiar. He relived the death of his first team one by one. Obito, Rin and Minato, each falling before Kakashi's eyes as he reached out helpless to stop what he was seeing. These were familiar dreams, but dreams he'd thought long forgotten. Waking with a start, Kakashi rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling as his heart pounded and his breathing slowed from it's harsh pace. When he was calm and the dreams began to fade, sleep swelled up to claim him again. He dreamed of finding Naruto half dead after his final battle with Sasuke, berating himself for not being faster, not arriving sooner to save _both_ of his students. He dreamed of the pain in Sakura's eyes and the blame he always imagined he could see there. Last, he dreamed of Sasuke tied to a tree and glaring at him as he lectured. He watched grudging acceptance and the first hints of understanding lighten those dark eyes and hope prevailed, its warmth soothing him, then was abruptly cut away as his dream jumped to the announcement of Sasuke's departure.

The alarm next to his bed blared and Kakashi gratefully let himself be pulled up from the depths of sleep. Reaching over with one hand, he slapped the alarm, silencing it's insistent and annoying ringing as he willed the remnants of the dreams to fade. Sitting up slowly, Kakashi allowed himself a moment to feel. Pain, regret and guilt wanted to take hold in his soul and crush him under their weight. This was an old feeling for Kakashi, but one he had grown adept at dealing with. He let the feelings go rather then bury them or try to force them to some dark corner of his heart. There was nothing he could have done of his first team, and he knew that. His guilt over their loss was unfounded and he'd not let it rule him. He'd done what he could for Team 7, and would now do what he could to help mend what he could not stop from breaking when Sasuke left them. His guilt faded, replaced by a familiar determination. "You can't live in the past, Hatake," he murmured to himself.

Throwing the blanket back, Kakashi swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stretched, voicing a long, loud yawn. Rubbing his eyes, Kakashi pushed to his feet and moved silently through the room, gathering up clean clothing and moving to the bathroom. Just before he opened the door a soft knock came from behind him. Turning his head, he glanced back at the door that led to the front half of his small apartment as it opened and Sasuke's head popped in. "Yes, Sasuke?"

Sasuke glanced around the dim room, clearly having trouble seeing him as his eyes adjusted from the brighter light in the front of the apartment. "I was just... I heard the alarm and I wanted to ask if you wanted something to eat. You cooked for me this morning, I figured I could return the favor while you got dressed."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, touched by Sasuke's offer, but unable to stop himself from nettling the boy. "I thought you wanted my help. Why the sudden desire to kill me with your cooking? I remember how poorly you cook, Sasuke. I always figured that's why you were so skinny and pale--you couldn't eat your own cooking."

Sasuke bristled, just as Kakashi had expected. "I know how to cook. You're not the only one who's changed the last three years, _Sensei_."

Kakashi winced at the deliberate accent on the last word. Sighing, he turned back to the bathroom door and pushed it open, muttering just before he stepped in, "I'm sorry, Sasuke, I'm sure you've changed a great deal." Before Sasuke could answer, Kakashi closed the door behind himself and flipped the light on, finishing his thought. "And that's the problem. I don't know you anymore Sasuke. And when I look at you, I feel like I don't know myself either."

Clearing his mind, Kakashi stripped down and lost himself in the familiarity of his morning ablutions. He dressed slowly, in no hurry to go back out and face Sasuke again. He paused, _hitae-ate_ lifted halfway to his head, probing at that feeling. "Why in the hell am I afraid to face Sasuke? No, not afraid. He makes me feel... discomfited."

Frowning at this realization, Kakashi lifted the _hitae-ate_ the rest of the way, tying it swiftly at the back of his head, then slanting it down to cover his left eye as it always did. Dropping his hands, he grabbed his mask and pulled it up to cover his face once again before turning to face himself in the small mirror over the sink. Frowning behind his mask and drawing his eyebrows down over the bridge of his nose, Kakashi probed at the feelings in himself that surrounded thoughts Sasuke. As he dug deeper, he only became more confused by the way he felt. After several minutes he gave up trying to sort his feelings out and turned away from the mirror with a sigh.

"It's just the remnants of those dreams twisting up the way I feel. I'll feel better once I get out of this apartment and slip back into my daily life. I just need to wake myself up."

Pulling the bathroom door open, Kakashi reached up, automatically flipping the light switch off. He paused when he stepped into his room, then he moved over to the windows to pull back the thicker curtains he used to block out the light when a long mission kept him from his bed until after the sun had come up. When light flooded the small room, he glanced over at his bed. Walking over to it, he pulled the blanket back and quickly stripped the sheets off, depositing them in the bag in the bathroom that held his dirty clothing. Gathering up a clean set of sheets, Kakashi went back to his bed and began the menial task of dressing the bed. He was nearly finished when he heard the door behind him open again. Rather than acknowledge his former student, Kakashi finished what he was doing. He caught sight of Sasuke once from the corner of his eye when he turned to grab the blanket where it lay heaped on the floor. The boy wore a scowl that was familiar to Kakashi, and didn't bode well for the upcoming meeting with the Hokage. Sighing, Kakashi spread the blanket over his bed, tucking it in neatly and smoothing away wrinkles before turning to look at his former student.

"One of these days your face is going to stick in the expression, then you'll never find a girlfriend."

"If it hasn't stuck yet in the past sixteen years, I don't think it's ever going to."

Kakashi was stunned by what could only be termed as humour from the last Uchiha. "Maybe you're right," he mumbled, his mind reeling.

"And whoever said I _want_ a _girl_friend anyway?" Sasuke asked as he turned away, walking out of the bedroom once more.

Unsure if he'd actually heard the inflection on 'girl,' Kakashi felt his heart take a hard, lurching thrust in his chest as he watched the younger man walk away. Frowning, he made a mental note to stop by the hospital and have his heart checked after he left the Hokage's office. Shaking himself as if he could throw off the strange occurrences that had been arising since he'd arrived home to find Sasuke asleep in his bed, Kakashi forced himself to move after Sasuke. He moved over to pick up his equipment pouch, strapping it on as he moved out to the front of the apartment. Pausing, he glanced back into his room, then moved back in to pick up the glass that he had brought Sasuke water in, then moved back out to the front, walking into the tiny kitchen and placing the glass in the sink. Seeing that the sink was empty, Kakashi frowned, then glanced back at Sasuke who was smirking at him once more. Kakashi caught the flash of hopeful uncertainty in the young man's eyes that the scowl could not completely hide before he answered the unspoken question.

"I washed them while you were asleep. I figured it was the least I could do since you cooked for me."

Nodding, Kakashi smiled at the boy behind his mask, though he knew it was an empty smile, another mask to hide just how surprised he was. "Well, thank you, Sasuke. I appreciate the thought."

Moving to the front door, Kakashi paused, bending over to pull his shoes on. When he stood and glanced back at Sasuke, the boy was still standing at the edge of the kitchen, staring intently at him, a small frown pulling down the corners of his mouth. If it were possible, Kakashi thought the boy looked paler than usual. Straightening himself out, Kakashi squared his shoulders, then grabbed his cloak from the hook by the door and pulled it around himself as he spoke. "Don't worry Sasuke, I don't think Lady Tsunade will have you put to death for such minor transgressions."

Broken from whatever it was that had held him rooted in place, Sasuke stomped across the floor, bending to pull his own shoes on as he grumbled irritably, "I wouldn't care if she did. It's not as if I don't deserve to die for everything I did."

Kakashi bent over, grabbed Sasuke's chin and pulled the boy to a standing position once more, leaving him to stomp his foot to get his shoe completely on. Locking his one visible eye on Sasuke's, Kakashi spoke quietly, but firmly to the startled boy. "You _don't_ deserve to die. You did what you were led to do. There was really no other way it could have turned out. Itachi led you to where he needed you to go. Your love for him and your clan, and the ache for your loss made you easy for him to manipulate. You are not a bad person, Sasuke. Not any more than the rest of us are bad people for making the mistakes we've made."

Sasuke just stood staring wide-eyed at Kakashi for several moments. Kakashi didn't think the boy was breathing either, but he couldn't be sure. When Sasuke finally jerked his head back, removing his chin from Kakashi's grasp, he let his hand drop back to his side, waiting for Sasuke's scathing reply. "You can say it Sensei, but that doesn't make me feel it."

It was Kakashi's turn to be stunned. Unable to make his tongue work to speak, and unable to make his mind form coherent thought anyway, Kakashi could only stand in stunned silence as Sasuke grabbed his own cloak and threw it on over his shoulders. Kakashi felt the boy's chakra flare as he worked loose the trap Kakashi had set over the door. Shaking himself, Kakashi pulled himself from his stunned silence as Sasuke unlocked the door and pulled it open. Just as the boy stepped out into the chilly afternoon air, Kakashi sighed and moved after him. "Sometimes I don't know what to think about you, Sasuke."

* * *

**AN: **Sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter up. My writing time has been invaded by watching one of my favorite artists on Livestream until I pass out at night. I got it written first thing this morning. I'd have edited and posted it earlier, but I got distracted by other writing. I've been busy with writing today.

Now, on a random side note. This story now has a theme song! lol The song popped into my head this morning and I put the CD in and that was it. I wrote most of this chapter with the same song on repeat. (I say most, because I wrote the first few paragraphs a few days ago when I finished the second chapter.) The song is When I'm Gone by 3 Doors Down. Awesome song, but it also fits the theme and mood of this story quite well I think. :D


	4. Chapter 4

"You're late, Kakashi!"

Glancing at Kakashi's back, Sasuke could imagine the irritating smile the man was giving the Hokage. The excuse offered didn't surprise Sasuke in the least either. "I'm sorry I'm late Lady Tsunade, I had something I needed to take care of."

When Kakashi shifted just slightly, looking back over his shoulder at Sasuke, he took the cue and moved over to the side, out from behind Kakashi and pulled the hood of his cloak back, revealing himself to Konoha's fifth Hokage. The room seemed to be instantly filled with masked ANBU, weapons drawn. Though none of those weapons were pointed at Sasuke, he could feel the potential for action radiating in the air around him. Schooling his face into a blank mask, Sasuke tried to decide how he should feel about this response. Angry? Nervous? Simply annoyed? Glancing up at Kakashi's calm face, or what he could see of it, Sasuke let his internal debate go and settled for just standing quietly, hands held out from his sides slightly to show that they were empty. Though, as a ninja, and a user of the Sharingan, that didn't particularly matter. Noticing that the Hokage never quite looked into his eyes, Sasuke knew that the older woman was indeed aware of that, and not willing to take the risk. Unable to stop himself, Sasuke smirked. Feeling a stinging slap at the back of his head, Sasuke pulled his gaze away from the Hokage, glancing about until he saw Kakashi's glare. He knew then who had smacked him and anger flared.

"What the hell did you do that for?"

"I told you Sasuke, I'm not going to let you be a brat. Especially not in the presence of the Hokage."

"Kakashi, what's going on?" The Hokage snapped, drawing both mens' attention back to the buxom woman behind the desk.

Kakashi gave Sasuke one last hard look, then turned back to face the Hokage once more. Sasuke stood seething and glaring at Kakashi's back as he spoke to the older woman. "I returned home from my mission in the early morning hours two days ago. When I arrived at my apartment I found the trap I always set on my door had been removed. To make a long story short, when I let myself into my apartment and looked around, I found my wayward student asleep in my bed. He awoke shortly after I found him and we talked. I'll let him tell his own story however he sees fit."

Sasuke crushed his annoyance, reminding himself that Kakashi was trying to help him, and his anger would defeat his purpose for returning to Konoha. Stepping up to stand next to Kakashi, he took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, then began his story. His head was held high, ever the proud Uchiha outwardly, even if he wasn't inwardly. "I killed Itachi. I'm sure you're well aware of that. However, as I stood over my brother's dying body I began to feel regret. It was just as everyone had always told me it would be. My revenge, once achieved, didn't fill me with satisfaction. Instead, it left me empty. I started to feel guilty about killing my brother, because in my eyes, by killing him, I was no better than he was for killing our clan.

"I was injured pretty badly in the fight and used up all of my chakra. Just after Itachi died, I passed out. When I woke up, I was mostly healed and tied up. Of course, I assumed that the Akatsuki had taken exception to me killing one of their own, and I thought I was going to die. At that time, I was so confused about my feelings for what I'd done, I wouldn't have cared if they decided to kill me, and I probably wouldn't have fought back. A masked man wearing a black robe with red clouds on it came out of the shadows and I figured that my life was over. Turns out I was right, but not in the way I expected."

Sasuke paused and took a deep breath, letting his head fall forward for the first time. That outward appearance of Uchiha pride was slipping through his fingers faster than water, and grab as he might, Sasuke couldn't seem to catch a firm grip on that pride. Feeling the weight of a hand settle on his shoulder. Sasuke lifted his head and looked up at Kakashi who was looking at him gravely. Nodding, Sasuke squared his shoulders and allowed himself to take the offered comfort.

"That man pulled his mask back to reveal his face. It was clear from that moment that he was of the Uchiha clan. He not only bore the Sharingan, but he looked a lot like my father. He introduced himself as Madara Uchiha."

The normally stoic Tsunade gaped at Sasuke, color draining from her face as her eyes widened. "That can't be. Madara Uchiha is long dead. Even if he had survived the fight with the First Hokage somehow, he'd have died of old age long before now."

Sasuke shrugged and felt some of the Uchiha pride returning. "The Uchiha are a strong people. There are a great many things one can do with jutsu if they are strong enough."

"I don't believe anyone is strong enough to outwit death."

Sasuke felt himself smirking, and somehow that one gesture relieved some of the weight that had settled on his shoulders. "Do not judge other clans by your own, Lady Tsunade."

Anticipating the slap from Kakashi this time, Sasuke ducked his head forward, then shot a glare at the older man before he turned his attention back to the older woman. "The Uchiha were a strong clan before they were ordered to be eliminated. They were stronger than the Senju clan, and that was obvious. But, they had also grown bitter and the seeds of darkness had been sown so many years before with Madara's departure. They had begun to take root, producing a crop that promised bad times for Konoha. To put a stop to this, and to destroy the crop before it could fully ripen, my brother was ordered to murder our clan. He let me live because he loved me, and wanted to protect me. Itachi protected me my entire life, and I killed him for it." Feeling Kakashi squeeze his shoulder again, Sasuke shook his head and continued firmly, "I know what you told me, Sensei. Itachi did everything he could to make me hate him, but that doesn't change the fact that he was protecting me and I killed him."

Before Sasuke could continue his story, Tsunade lifted a hand and motioned to the ANBU around the room. When all of them had vanished as quickly as they had arrived, Tsunade turned her attention back to Sasuke. "I'd heard something of the decision to eliminate the Uchiha clan because they had begun to rot and were viewed to be a danger to Konoha. I can't believe that they would have told Itachi all of this however."

"You think my brother was so weak-minded as to blindly follow any order given to him?" Sasuke growled, ignoring the warning squeeze on his shoulder.

"No, Sasuke, I don't. I know you Uchiha well. What I mean is that I'm surprised they would tell him the whole truth. They likely could have told him less, or told him lies and gotten what they needed in the end."

Hunching his shoulders, Sasuke scowled at nothing in particular. "I don't know what he was told exactly, I just know what the truth is. Whether that truth was delivered to Itachi, or whether he found it out on his own after he murdered our clan and fled the village, I couldn't say. The only man that would know is now dead, by my hands."

"Yes, that's true. Now tell me why you're here, Sasuke. More revenge? Do you wish to kill those that ordered your clan murdered?"

Sasuke shook his head, letting his gaze settle on the Hokage once again. "I know it was true. I knew even then as a kid that the Uchiha clan had begun to rot. I saw things, and I heard things. Children are mostly ignored by adults after all.

"No, after Madara told me the truth, he left me to think about what I'd heard, to consider my next actions. He wanted me to come to the Akatsuki, take Itachi's place. I was so overwhelmed with guilt for killing my brother that I couldn't think of what I wanted to do next. I went back to the team I formed after I killed Orochimaru, the ones that helped me track down Itachi, and I let the guilt eat at me. I got up in the middle of the night while the rest of my team slept and I left. I had no thoughts where to go or what to do, I just needed to be as far away from that place as I could get myself. As I moved away I remembered the last time I talked to Kakashi, the evening before I left. I remembered what he'd told me then and I knew he'd been right. I knew that if I'd listened to him then that everything would have turned out so differently. I'd not have killed my brother, and I'd not be eaten up with guilt. So, it was with thoughts of my former sensei in my head that I turned myself toward Konoha. In the back of my mind, I just knew that Kakashi would have the answers I sought. I knew that he would be the one that could help me see the way to right the terrible wrong I had done."

Tsunade turned her gaze to Kakashi, and Sasuke saw the older man nod from the corner of his eye. Turning her gaze back to Sasuke, the Hokage frowned. "So, you came back to Konoha looking for Kakashi so that he could help you make things right?"

"Yes. I've come to make amends for my mistakes, and to find the forgiveness I need."

"Forgiveness. From who?"

Not sure how to answer that question, Sasuke frowned. When Kakashi spoke up next to him, Sasuke turned his head to look at the older man. "From himself mostly. But also from the village. From Naruto, Sakura and myself."

"You can't make amends for an act as permanent as murder. At least, not to the one murdered. You didn't think that you could make amends to Itachi by coming back here did you?"

Turning away from the Hokage, Sasuke hunched his shoulders around the pain that ate at his heart. Breathing deeply, but raggedly, Sasuke felt himself succumbing to the guilt once more until Kakashi spoke up again. "Itachi forgave him the moment the act was complete. Sasuke did what his brother led him to do, so there was nothing that Sasuke needed to be forgiven for. Itachi's death at Sasuke's hands was his restitution, and was Sasuke's forgiveness. What Sasuke needs now is to forgive himself. Once he finds the way to make amends for all that he has done wrong, he will have made amends for killing Itachi."

"But what does any of this have to do with his return to the village?"

"He told you, it was his need to come to me that brought him back here. He thought I could give him the answers he needed. I gave him the direction he needed to find those answers."

Sasuke turned around, trying to scowl at the Hokage, but he couldn't quite make the frown stick as uncertainty built in him. "I'm still from this village. I may no longer be a Leaf ninja, but I was born a Leaf citizen. Or have my foolish actions taken that from me as well? Am I going to spend the rest of my life wandering alone, no clan, no village, only the bitter taste of my guilt for everything I've done?"

"No Sasuke, you'll never be alone, I'll make sure of that."

Sasuke turned his head to look up at Kakashi when he spoke, surprised to find that his former mentor was not looking at him, but was looking intently at the Hokage. Frowning, Sasuke looked back at the Hokage and squared his shoulders, drawing a deep breath. "I'm ready to pay for my mistakes and for my crimes. Tell me what I need to do to get back into the village's good graces and I'll gladly do it."

Tsunade finally looked away from Kakashi, her gaze traveling over Sasuke's face as if looking for the truth or deception of his pronouncement. Shaking her head, the older woman leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "I can't make that decision on my own. I need to talk to those two old fools. I can't let you wander free around the village, but locking you up seems to be a bit harsh." The Hokage paused, her gaze shifting to Kakashi and narrowing. "I'll tell you what, Kakashi, you've kept the boy at your place for the last two days, you can keep him for a few days longer while we work out what is to be done with him. I'll station ANBU outside of your apartment, though I don't anticipate there being any trouble with you to keep an eye on him."

"Wait, _my_ apartment? That's a bachelor's apartment, Lady Tsunade! There's only enough room for one. You want me to squeeze him into my apartment for a few days? Where will he sleep? The floor? I suppose everything else would be ok, no matter the size of the apartment, but sleeping will be a problem."

"Don't you have a couch? I could have some genin bring a cot you could set up for him. Look Kakashi, you accepted responsibility for him when you kept his return hidden for the last couple of days. And don't think that the council won't want to have a few words with you about that when this is all said and done!"

Kakashi lifted a hand and rubbed at the back of his head, giving a nervous laugh that for some reason made Sasuke have to duck his head and smother a grin. When he lifted his head again, the Hokage was glaring at him now. "What?"

"Are you going to complain about the living arrangements too?"

Sasuke shrugged and glanced at Kakashi from the corner of his eye. "If Kakashi-sensei is fine with it, I'll manage. I've slept in much less comfortable conditions since I left the village." Sasuke paused and glanced at Kakashi again, then turned his gaze back to the woman behind the desk. "Can I go out and see Naruto and Sakura, or am I under house arrest?"

"No, it would be better of you stayed out of public view until this is all worked out. I don't want any kind of panic being started by your presence. I'm sure Naruto will know soon enough that you're back, and once he knows he'll tell Sakura and they both will be over to see you at Kakashi's, you can see them then."

Sasuke nodded, then frowned. "I was going to go see about getting some new clothes. I don't want to wear these anymore, and they're all I have."

Tsunade sighed and leaned back in her chair again, rubbing her eyes as if she were suddenly tired. "I'll send Shizune by for your measurements later today and I'll have clothing provided for you. Once this is all sorted out, you can see about getting your own clothes. Any other questions?"

Sighing, Kakashi just shook his head. Sasuke glanced at the older man, then back at the Hokage and shook his head as well. "No, but I wanted to thank you for listening rather than just tossing me in jail or having me killed."

"It probably would have been easier if I had," Tsunade muttered, then lifted a hand and waved it toward the door.

Nodding, Kakashi turned away from the desk and started for the office door, commenting blandly to Sasuke as he pulled the door open, "You might want to put your hood back up Sasuke, you don't want to cause a panic."

Sasuke snorted, but did as he was told, settling the hood over his head once more. "I'd think I'd be more likely to stir suspicions and cause unrest by walking around the village with my hood up," Sasuke muttered as he stepped out of the Hokage's office behind Kakashi, following the older man to what would be his home for the next few days.

* * *

**AN:** Yeah, I snuck by having to come up with a punishment for Sasuke for at least another chapter or two. This chapter wanted to be written, but I didn't know what Tsunade was going to do. So, I found a way around it. ;)

Am I evil for sticking Kakashi and Sasuke together in that tiny apartment for 3 days? *evil laughs* I have to keep the boys close so they can fall in love. *sage nod*

Thanks in advance for your reviews! They mean the world to me folks! :)


	5. Chapter 5

A loud crash jerked Kakashi from his first decent sleep since he'd arrived home four days before to find his wayward student asleep in his bed. He didn't sleep the first two days by choice, but the last two hadn't been his choice at all. The Hokage had kept her promise and sent a small cot for Sasuke to sleep in. They'd set the bed over by Kakashi's desk, completely blocking it and partially blocking the door. Kakashi discovered the first night that sleeping in the same room with his team while on a mission was one thing, but having someone in his apartment, in his own room was something else entirely. He wasn't used to having the sound of someone else's breathing filling his room in the dark of night and it distracted him from sleep. Exhaustion had found a solution for him the night before. Sasuke had curled up on the small couch in the front of the apartment reading a book Kakashi didn't recognize, and he had no clue where the boy had gotten it. Leaving Sasuke to his reading, Kakashi had gone to bed just after sun down. As he had planned, he was asleep long before Sasuke had come back to the small room to slip into his own bed to sleep, if he even had. Since Kakashi had slept through the night, he didn't know when or if Sasuke had come to bed.

Muffled voices, snapped him from his thoughts, pulling him from the last tendrils of sleep's warm, hazy hold. When one of the voices grew gradually louder, clearly angry and was accompanied by a dull thumping noise, Kakashi jumped from his bed, barely managing to keep himself from being tripped by the blanket twisted around him. The moment his feet hit the floor, he hurried through the dimly lit room, tripping over Sasuke's small bed and cursing sharply. Stumbling to a stop, he gave the bed an irritated kick and cursed again before stepping around it and jerking open the door that separated his room from the front of the apartment. The first thing he noticed was that the front room was much brighter, placing the time somewhere close to mid-morning. The next thing he noticed were the two ANBU agents standing in the open doorway watching the happenings warily, but making no move to intervene. Looking where the two masked men were looking, Kakashi found the source of the angry yelling and the dull thumping noise. Sasuke lay limply on the floor behind the couch, mouth bloody, eyes filled with resignation. Naruto had Sasuke by the front of his shirt and he was shaking his former teammate hard enough to make his head thump against the floor from time to time.

"Answer me, damn you! Tell me why!" Naruto was growling at Sasuke, his words coming with each hard shake.

Cursing again, Kakashi darted over to his two former students and grabbed Naruto, pulling him off Sasuke and growling at both, "Am I ever going to have a time where I don't have to stop you children from fighting?" Pausing to set the fuming blonde on his feet, Kakashi sighed tiredly and motioned for the ANBU to resume their post outside his apartment, or where ever it was they hid themselves before continuing as the door clicked closed behind the two silent ninjas. "I finally manage to get some sleep, and you two decide to fight in my living room and wake me up. What are you doing here anyway, Naruto?"

Rather than answer his question, Naruto stepped around Kakashi, clearly meaning to continue is rough questioning of Sasuke. Sighing warily, Kakashi stepped in front of Naruto, and once he was sure he had the boy's complete attention he glared at him. "Let me ask one more time... what are you going here, Naruto? Besides pummeling Sasuke and waking me up, of course."

"How long has he been here, Kakashi-sensei? He says he's been here four days. But there's no way he'd come home and not tell me or Sakura for four days. Why is he lying about it? What's going on? Why is he here anyway? Did you find him on your mission and bring him home? Why didn't _you_ let us know he was back?"

Shaking his head, Kakashi shoved Naruto in the direction of the couch and grunted, "Sit down," before turning and kneeling next to Sasuke. "You have too many questions Naruto, and a really bad way of going about seeking answers."

"Just tell me, Sensei!"

"Shut up, Naruto," Kakashi yelled back over his shoulder, pleased to see the surprise blossom on Naruto's face. Turning his attention back to Sasuke who was now sitting up, Kakashi murmured, "Come on, Sasuke, let's go get you cleaned up."

Pulling Sasuke carefully to his feet, Kakashi steered the boy toward the bedroom, cutting off Naruto's protests before he could do more than draw a breath, "I said shut up Naruto. I'll answer whichever of your questions I feel like answering when I come back. Until then you can sit quietly right there or you can leave. Those are the only two options I'm giving you."

Choosing to ignore Naruto's muttering, Kakashi led Sasuke through the bedroom and into the bathroom. Reaching up with one hand, he flipped the light switch, then led Sasuke over to the sink. Turning the water on, he watched Sasuke from the corner of his eye for a moment as the water warmed, then bent down to pull a wash cloth from the shelf. When he stood and slid the soft bit of material under the streaming water, he finally spoke. "Why were you letting him do that to you?"

Sasuke shrugged and smiled, though the smile wilted as quickly as it had arrived and his face twisted in pain, blood beginning to seep from the split in his lip once again. "I figured I owed him a few free shots after what I did to him."

Snorting, Kakashi turned the water off and wrung out the cloth before beginning to gently clean Sasuke's chin and mouth with it. "You know, it wasn't like you tied him up and beat him half to death. It took two to fight and he was a more than willing participant. Naruto's tendencies toward exaggeration aside, from what he told me, he gave almost as good as he got."

Sasuke shook his head, then sighed. "He was my teammate and my friend and I beat him then left him for dead."

"And you think letting him beat you to a pulp now will erase that? You think it will make everything all better?"

The smirk that slid onto Sasuke's face was so familiar and so welcome after the acceptance that had filled his eyes when Kakashi first stepped out of his room, that he chose to ignore it. "It would make Naruto feel better. It would make me feel better too."

"You think your debt will be paid? All things even after you take a beating? It won't Sasuke. You did more than beat Naruto up that day. You hurt him much more than just physically. You two are going to have to find the way to mend that rift, but I can promise you that violence will only make that rift wider, it won't close it. Besides, what happened to that proud Uchiha brat that used to torment me with his constant bickering with Naruto?"

Sasuke reached out and took the bloodied cloth and held it to his lip as he considered his answer. Kakashi let the boy think, busying himself by searching through the assorted ointments and medicines he had accumulated over the years he had stored in the small medicine chest in his bathroom. When Sasuke started to reply, Kakashi didn't bother looking at him until he finished. "You see where my pride led me. I'm not going to let it lead me down a path like that again. I won't make the same mistake twice."

Kakashi didn't bother pointing out that he couldn't repeat all of his mistakes. He didn't feel the need to kick the boy any harder while he was already down. Instead, he reached out and pulled the cloth away from Sasuke's mouth, checking on how much his split lip was still bleeding, then holding out a small bottle of ointment to the boy before he replied. "Don't let your pride go Sasuke, it makes you who you are. It makes you strong. Just don't let it run your life. Use your brain instead of letting your pride dictate your actions."

Sasuke opened the bottle and dabbed some of the translucent cream on his lip, wincing slightly at the stinging. Closing the bottle, he held it out to Kakashi, then cleaned his finger on the cloth before turning the water on again and beginning to rinse the blood out of it. "I thought you said you weren't going to let me be a brat anymore, Sensei," he drawled lazily, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Shoving the bottle back into the medicine chest, Kakashi took the cloth from Sasuke and draped it over the towel rack to dry, then turned back to face Sasuke once more. "I'd rather see you be a brat than see you sit and meekly take the abuse being offered to you. I don't want you to go back to the brat you were Sasuke, but I don't want to see you become an emotionless, mindless zombie either. You need to learn temperance, that's all. The best way to learn temperance is to put yourself in a situation that you don't like and practice controlling yourself. Let's get started! Naruto's waiting for answers out there."

Not waiting for Sasuke to reply, Kakashi pulled the bathroom door open again and stepped out into his bedroom, moving carefully around the extra bed to open the door to the front of the apartment and slip out. Naruto still sat on the couch, clearly unhappy, but Kakashi couldn't feel the nine-tails' chakra biting in the air around him any longer, so the boy had managed to calm himself to be some semblance of civility at least. Without having to think about it, Kakashi moved over to the couch and dropped down next to Naruto, sitting in a position that was half-lounging, leaning back against the arm so he could watch Naruto. The position also left no room for Sasuke, so when the younger man came out of the bedroom a few moments later, he had to step into the small kitchen and grab one of the chairs from the table. Bringing the chair back out, Kakashi lifted a brow, but said nothing when Sasuke set the chair close to where he sat, though his gaze never left Naruto.

"Alright, Naruto, if you're ready to talk calmly, I'll answer whatever I can, and I'm sure Sasuke will be happy to answer most of your questions, but don't push him on the things he doesn't wish to talk about." Kakashi paused, holding up a hand when Naruto opened his mouth, clearly readying a barrage of questions. "One at a time, Naruto. You two _did_ just wake me up after all. But first, I think Sasuke has something he wants to say to you, and it may answer a few of your questions."

Turning his gaze away from the fuming Naruto, Kakashi gazed over at the his other former student, trying and failing to read what he was thinking or feeling. Sasuke's face and eyes were so empty of any emotion or hint of what he might be thinking that Kakashi knew he was hiding something. "Sasuke? If you're not ready for this, tell me now and we'll end it. Naruto can come back for his answers another time."

Sasuke flicked a glance at Kakashi, then looked back at Naruto as he shook his head. "No, Sensei, he deserves his answers. I've done enough to him over the years that the least I can do is give him the answers he seeks."

Kakashi leaned back, feigning disinterest and relaxation, but inside he was tense, watching both of his former students sharply, alert for any trouble. "As you wish, but I want you both to remember that this is my home, and the first sign of trouble I'm putting an end to this."

Neither of the young men looked at him as they nodded and Kakashi sighed inwardly. "Fine, go ahead Sasuke."

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm sorry I beat you up when you tried to stop me. I'm sorry I nearly killed you. I'm sorry I left to begin with. I'm sorry you felt guilty about my leaving. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have stopped me no matter what you said or did. I was so full of hate, pride and pure stupidity, nothing could have gotten through to me. I'm sorry it took me so long to finally see the truth and come to make amends."

"Who said I felt guilty about you leaving? I was just mad because you broke Sakura's heart."

Kakashi managed to keep himself from snorting and was glad his mask hid his grin when Sasuke didn't bother suppressing his snort. "I know you better than you think I do, Naruto. Besides, it may not have seemed it at the time, but I was listening to what you were yelling at me as we fought. As for Sakura, I'll apologize to her as well as soon as I get the chance to see her."

"She loves you you know."

Sasuke shrugged and looked away from Naruto for the first time, his gaze riveted on the floor at his feet as if it were the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. "I think I knew all along, but I ignored it because it was just an obstacle blocking me from my revenge. That night when I left is when I really realized just how much she had grown to love me." Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh, Sasuke lifted his head and looked at Naruto again before he continued. "Whether I left that night or stayed would have made no difference where that is concerned. I can't return Sakura's feelings."

Leaning forward, blue eyes narrowed and hands balled into fists in his lap, Naruto asked quietly, "Can't, or won't?"

"_Can't_, Naruto. I don't... I'm not interested in Sakura. She is my former teammate and friend, and that's as far as my interest stretches. Back then, the only thing on my mind was killing Itachi, getting my revenge. Now, my interest lies only in making amends for the mistakes I made. Love is the furthest thing from my mind most times."

_Most times?_ Kakashi wondered, but didn't ask.

"You don't love Sakura."

"Not that way she loves me, no. But, I know you love her Naruto, so I guess now is your chance."

"Yeah right, Sakura would kill me. Besides, just because you don't love her doesn't mean she's going to stop loving you."

"Probably not," Kakashi interjected, "but when she realizes that Sasuke isn't going to ever give her what she wants, she'll let go. She's a smart girl. She'll learn to love someone else and she'll be happy."

Both young men turned and looked at him, then looked back at one another. Kakashi leaned back again, letting his one open eye close to a slit, more listening to the conversation than watching them talk now. The conversation was on stable and safe ground and Kakashi felt safe in relaxing. The conversation about Sakura continued on for some time and Kakashi found himself wishing he were still in bed, enjoying that sleep he'd been missing so desperately, or at least reading one of his favorite books. When the subject shifted to slightly less stable ground, Kakashi snapped his eye open and started paying attention to both young men once more.

"Have you really been back four days?"

"Yes, about four days."

"Why didn't you let me know you were back?"

"Well, I was asleep the first two days I was back, then after I saw the Hokage, she told me to stay out of sight until the council could decide what they were going to do with me. I couldn't go out and see you because I had to stay here."

"Why did you come back here anyway? And why Kakashi-sensei instead of me?"

"I wasn't actually thinking with the front of my mind when I came back to Konoha. I was running on instinct. After I killed Itachi, I was given some truths about him that I didn't know and I came to know that I made a mistake in hating my brother and killing him. I was wracked with guilt and slipped off in the middle of the night, wandering aimlessly and hurting. My memory of my last day here and my talk with Kakashi surfaced at some point and I latched on to it. I remembered he told me that killing Itachi would leave me empty and unsatisfied. He was right about that. I decided that Kakashi would have the answers I needed. It was more like a child's instinct to find the adult that has always taught him right from wrong and protected him. I ran, moving obliviously back toward Konoha, rarely stopping to rest, and then only when I just couldn't force myself to move any further. I didn't think about what I was doing, I just moved."

Kakashi had turned to watch Sasuke intently about halfway through his recitation. He hadn't said anything that Kakashi didn't already know, but there was some desperate undertone to the words that Kakashi could hear, but couldn't quite grasp. He knew in that moment that Sasuke was building to another revelation about himself that was going to hurt. Though he wondered what it was, he knew he couldn't push. Turning to Naruto to give Sasuke a moment to gather himself and settle his thoughts, Kakashi cleared his throat. "That should answer the main question you have, but I can answer another I know you're thinking. Yes, Sasuke is going to stay. Why else would he have gone to see the Hokage to face-up to what he had done by leaving the village and fighting you. But now, I have a question of my own that was never answered. Why are you here Naruto?"

"Umm... I kind of forgot. Sorry Kakashi-sensei, it just surprised me to find Sasuke at your apartment. My mind went blank."

Sighing, Kakashi leaned back against the arm of the couch again and shook his head. "Couldn't have been too important then."

Shrugging off Kakashi's comment, Naruto turned his attention back to Sasuke. "How long are you planning on staying, Sasuke? Are you here for good, or just until you've made your amends?"

Before Sasuke could answer, Kakashi pushed to his feet, drawing the attention of both young men. "If you two can promise not to kill one another in my apartment, I'm going to leave you to talk while I go and shower. Since you've woke me up, I may as well get my day started."

Moving across the room to the bedroom door, Kakashi could feel Sasuke's gaze locked on his back. When he opened the door, he glanced back to find Sasuke staring intently at him as he answered Naruto's question. "Well, I don't know. It depends."

"Depends?" Naruto yelled. "Depends on what?"

Kakashi looked at Sasuke for only a moment longer, then turned and stepped into his bedroom. When the door clicked closed behind him, he heard Sasuke's muffled voice answering Naruto's question and Naruto's subsequent annoyed yell in response. Sighing and feeling old for the first time in his life, Kakashi pushed away from the door and moved across the room to the bathroom, pausing along the way to gather up clean clothing. Once he was safely tucked away in the bathroom, Kakashi let himself mutter the question that had started nagging at the back of his mind as he listened to Sasuke talk to Naruto. "How much do you expect of me, Sasuke?" After a moment's pause, Kakashi sighed and pushed away from the door, muttering, "And how much do _I_ expect?"

* * *

**AN:** I wrote this yesterday, finished it early afternoon and edited it late afternoon. Came to post it... and couldn't get it to upload. Tried on and off all day to get it uploaded and finally here it is! Sheesh!

Now, I want to say sorry about the delay between chapters. I hit a wall and then my muse wouldn't leave me be about a drabble/teaser piece for two new OCs that were born in my head a couple of months or so ago. So, I wrote that and it freed me up to get this chapter written. This chapter was actually supposed to go on with Sasuke meeting Kakashi in the room to have another talk, getting into what I was hinting at in this chapter. Another big revelation. But, Naruto was pushy and their talk went a bit longer than I expected, so I cut the chapter. I decided it's for the best anyway since the talk is better covered from Sasuke's POV because there's a lot to be gleaned from emotion. Also, Sakura didn't come along with Naruto because once I knew how the initial meeting between Naruto and Sasuke was going to go, there was no room for Sakura. She'll make an uncomfortable appearance later. :D

I also wanted to warn you, there's likely to be another delay before the next chapter. I've hit another wall halfway through chapter six. I'm losing interest in the story. Which means I've taken a wrong turn somewhere and I need to rethink how I continue.

One last thing before I go. (And if you've read all this, bless you! :D) For future reference, unless I expressly ask for a critique of my work, I don't particularly want one. That being said, if you really feel the need to give me one anyway, at least have the decency to not do it anonymously so that I can reply. (Why do all critiques come anonymously? WTF? I never critique anonymously. Of course, I rarely critique, and then only when asked. lol) And yes, there is a difference between reviewing my story and critiquing it. If you don't know that difference, err on the side of caution and don't doooo eeeet! XD (Thanks for putting up with my rambles. And thanks for your reviews and faves.)


	6. Chapter 6

Sasuke was laying on the cot that had been provided for him when Kakashi finally stepped out of the bathroom. Without opening his eyes or turning his head, Sasuke turned his attention to the older man, waiting for Kakashi to speak. Naruto's arrival and their subsequent talk had left Sasuke in a state too close to the way he'd been when he'd first returned to Konoha for his own comfort. There were several things Sasuke had successfully kept himself from thinking about until Naruto had unwittingly pushed them to the forefront of Sasuke's mind. Cutting off a sigh before it could escape, Sasuke tried to force his mind to blank as he listened to Kakashi move across the small room to stand over him.

"Is something wrong, Sasuke? Where's Naruto? I figured he'd have stuck around longer."

Opening his eyes, Sasuke glanced up at Kakashi for a moment, then closed them again. "Naruto left a while ago. You've been in the bathroom longer than you realize. I'd ask what you were doing, but remembering those books you used to read, I'm sure I don't want to know the answer."

Sasuke could feel Kakashi's glare and was mildly soothed as his old familiar smirk slid onto his face. "I'm tired," Kakashi grunted, surprising Sasuke. "You two woke me up before I was ready, so it took me a while to wake myself completely. Hope you've already had your shower today because I doubt there's any hot water left."

"Tch. You can be a real pain in my ass sometimes."

"That's my line," Kakashi replied blandly. "Now tell me what's bothering you."

Opening his eyes, Sasuke looked up at Kakashi, then rolled over onto his side, pushing himself to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. "How do you know there's something bothering me?"

"Because you're human. You just had a run-in with Naruto that I know wasn't easy." Kakashi paused and moved over to the side, sitting next to Sasuke who found he suddenly had to fight not to tense up, trying to concentrate on what Kakashi was saying to him. "Because you're laying here waiting for me to come out of the bathroom. But, mostly because you're having a hard time looking at me."

Sasuke felt his heart rate jump up, thumping briskly in his chest. Ducking his head for a moment, he let himself indulge in the sigh he'd suppressed before he replied. "I knew I'd messed everything up, but I don't think I realized how much until I talked to Naruto. I don't mean just killing Itachi or even leaving the village to do it. I handled my entire life the wrong way. That's not news, I know, but I didn't realize just how much my actions affected those around me. Or maybe I just didn't care. What I can't understand is why nobody called me on it sooner."

Kakashi was quiet for so long that Sasuke finally lifted his head and glanced over at the older man, finding him contemplating the patterns of the sun shinning through the curtains onto the floor between the beds. "You remember the last time we talked before you left?" Kakashi finally asked. When Sasuke nodded, Kakashi nodded as well and turned his head to finally look at him. "You listened to me that day. For the first time since I'd met you, you actually _listened_. Then you left that night. You were ready to hear what I told you, but you weren't ready to accept it. I think if those Sound ninja hadn't come along you'd have sought me out that night instead of leaving because you were on the verge of that acceptance."

Sasuke frowned, finding himself now contemplating those patterns of sunlight. "But why didn't you say something to me sooner?"

"I did Sasuke, you just weren't ready to hear it yet. Naruto even tried on a few occasions. Sakura was so in love with you, you could do no wrong in her eyes. I'm sure I wasn't the first either. You were so angry, so hurt by your past, that you kept everyone at arm's length. You didn't let anyone get too close as you kept yourself protectively wrapped in that shield of anger. You couldn't hear those around you calling out to you, trying to lead you out of that darkness and back into the light."

Sasuke drew his legs up, hooking his heels on the edge of the bed and wrapping his arms around his knees. "I feel like a fool, Sensei."

"I imagine you do, but don't let that discourage you. We've all felt like that at least once in our lives. When you feel that way, you need to examine what you did that made you feel that way, then learn the lesson being offered so you don't repeat that mistake."

Frowning, Sasuke propped his chin on his knees and slowly wrapped his mind around what he was being told. Frustration ate at him, but he did his best to not let it take root. He wanted a quick answer even though he knew one wasn't available, and it stirred his old familiar anger. When Kakashi moved, Sasuke lifted his head and looked up at him again. "Sensei?"

Kakashi stopped, stooped over the bed in the process of standing. "Yes, Sasuke?"

"What am I going to do about Sakura?"

Sighing, Kakashi lowered himself back to sit next to Sasuke on the bed. "I've been waiting for that question. What do you think you should do, Sasuke?"

"I don't know. If I knew I wouldn't have asked you," he grumbled irritably.

"I think you do know what to do, you just don't want to do it," Kakashi murmured soothingly.

"Life was easier before."

"I'm sure it was, but look where it led you. Do you want that back?"

"Of course I don't. But, at the same time..." Sasuke trailed off and shrugged, scowling at the floor.

"At the same time dealing with Sakura would be easier if you were the same callous youth you were when you left. When you don't care about anyone or anything around you, it's easy to not see it when you hurt someone, and if you do see it, it doesn't matter. Right?"

Sasuke nodded, then grunted as he dropped his feet off the edge of the bed and pushed to a standing position to pace back and forth. "My mother used to tell me 'Sooner started, sooner finished' when there was something I didn't want to do. And I suppose that applies to this situation too, but it seems like a bad way to return to the village. I think Naruto has forgiven me, or at least started to. I hope that you'll eventually forgive me too. If I break Sakura's heart the first time I see her... that's not a good way to start off."

"You've already broken her heart, Sasuke. You broke her heart the night you left Konoha. But still, through it all, she never stopped loving you. She never stopped believing in you. Now you're back and you need to face up to that. You need to tell her the truth so she can move on with her life. You owe her at least that much."

Sasuke could hear the lecturing tone in Kakashi's voice, but rather than find himself growing annoyed, he felt relief. Kakashi was giving him some of the answers he needed. "That doesn't make it any easier."

Kakashi pushed to his feet and moved to stand in front of Sasuke, forcing him to stop his pacing and look up at him. "You think it should be easy breaking someone's heart? Well, I suppose it is. It's much easier than most of us would like. What's not easy is dealing with the aftermath. The way you were when you left made it easy for you to walk away from Sakura, ignoring her words, ignoring her pain, ignoring her tears. If it were easy for you to do the same thing now, you'd never have returned to Konoha."

Sasuke stared up at Kakashi, mildly stunned to realize that Kakashi was angry. "I'm sorry, Sensei."

Kakashi shook his head and turned away, walking around the end of Sasuke's bed and pulling the door open before he replied. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. I'm not the one that's been in love with you and aching for your absence these past two and a half years."

Still stunned, Sasuke watched Kakashi step out of the room and close the door firmly behind himself. When he heard the door to the front of the apartment open and close a few minutes later Sasuke blinked and walked stiffly over to his bed, dropping down to sit on the edge once more. Staring across the room at Kakashi's bed, Sasuke replayed the entire conversation in his head, trying to find the spot where he'd gone wrong, where he'd made Kakashi angry. As he thought, his gaze traveled inadvertently to the pictures on the nightstand, locking on the old Team 7 picture. Shaking his head Sasuke laid back on the bed and stared unseeing up at the ceiling.

"I think I made a mistake coming back here. I don't think I can be the person you want me to be, Kakashi. I think I killed that person in me when I killed Itachi."

Sasuke stayed sprawled across his bed until it was clear that Kakashi wasn't going to come back and yell at him. Sitting up, he stared across the room to Kakashi's empty bed and felt a pang of guilt. Pushing to his feet, Sasuke moved slowly from the room, leaving the door open behind him as he moved into the front of the apartment. Dropping down to sit on the small couch, he turned his head to look out the window at nothing in particular. Time passed unnoticed and the light outside the window gradually faded. Sasuke pulled himself out of his stupor when the last rays of twilight had begun to fade and hunger had begun to gnaw at his stomach. Pushing himself to his feet, Sasuke moved into the kitchen to answer the needs of his body, though he had no appetite. As he busied himself in the kitchenette, Sasuke replayed his conversation with Kakashi one more time, trying in vain to find what he'd done that had upset his reluctant roommate.

"Is he mad because I hurt Sakura?" Sasuke asked himself, thinking out loud as he sat at the table.

Shaking his head, Sasuke frowned and turned his concentration to eating, pushing aside thoughts of the disaster his conversation with Kakashi had turned in to. Sasuke ate without noticing the food, his thoughts turning again and again to Kakashi. As he washed the dishes he used, he found himself glancing over his shoulder at the door as if he expected Kakashi to walk in at any time. Dishes cleaned and put away, Sasuke moved back out to sit on the couch, once again staring out the window. As time passed and Kakashi didn't return, Sasuke found it easier to not think about what had happened, trying to make sense out of the situation. Instead, his thoughts turned to simply wondering where Kakashi had gone off to, wondering if he was ok. As the night wore on, Sasuke alternated between pacing through the small room, worry gnawing at him and slouching on the couch, glaring at nothing in particular in the dark room, angry that Kakashi was out so late.

The need for sleep pulled at Sasuke as it got later but he ignored the pull, refusing to abandon his vigil. Time flowed past Sasuke unnoticed in the unchanging dark until sleep could no longer be denied and drew him down into a different darkness. Sasuke slept fitfully, never quite able to grasp the faint wisps of dreams the moved rapidly through his mind, leaving him mildly distressed. Sasuke was snapped out of one of those dreams by the sound of voices not far off. Blinking himself awake, frowning at the change in the light. It wasn't dark anymore, but it wasn't bright morning light that shone in through the one window either. After a few moments Sasuke realized that he could hear rain pattering outside and he understood why it wasn't as bright as he would expect. When the door to the apartment closed, Sasuke snapped completely awake and sat up on the couch, looking over the back of the couch at Kakashi standing next to the door, pulling his shoes off and blinking his one open eye in surprise as he stared back at Sasuke.

"Why did you sleep on the couch, Sasuke?"

"Where were you?" Sasuke growled in response, earning himself a look of surprise from the older man that slowly dissolved into a look of irritation.

"Gee, I'm sorry I missed curfew, Dad," Kakashi grumbled before turning and walking quickly into the bedroom, leaving a nearly visible wake of anger trailing after him before the bedroom door slammed closed behind him.

Feeling his own anger burning in his gut, Sasuke scrambled over the end of the couch and ran to the bedroom, throwing the door open and running in after Kakashi. "You left without telling me why or where you were going! How could you walk out in the middle of a conversation like that? I thought you said you were going to help me." Sasuke realized he sounded like a whining child and it fed his anger, making it burn hotter.

Kakashi stood at the closed bathroom door, back turned to Sasuke. "I can't fix everything for you Sasuke, you've got to work a little harder and fix the mess you made for yourself."

Angry enough to feel his Sharingan activate, Sasuke stomped across the room to Kakashi, yelling back at him. "Fine, I'll do it all myself! I'm used to that! I've been alone most of my life! All I want to know is where the hell you were all night!"

Kakashi spun back to face Sasuke so quickly, he'd have missed the movement had his Sharingan not been activated. Even with the Sharingan he wasn't able to anticipate Kakashi's next move. He felt himself grabbed and spun, and before he could draw a breath to protest Kakashi slammed him against the bathroom door, pinning him there. Sasuke was so surprised by this unexpected act of violence that his Sharingan faded back to his usual black eyes which had widened, staring into Kakashi's one open black eye from only inches away as the older man leaned over him.

"I don't owe you _anything_, Sasuke. You can play the victim if you want, but you won't do it with me because I'm not going to let you. Y_ou_ made your choices, so now _you_ have to live with them," Kakashi said quietly, his voice at it's most dangerous. "If you were alone it was because you chose to keep everyone at arm's length while you nurtured that anger of yours. We all tried to get close to you, but you wouldn't let us."

Sasuke stared at Kakashi, feeling the heat of his breath wafting over his face even through his ever present mask. This was a side of Kakashi that Sasuke had never thought to see directed at him and it deflated his anger more effectively than anything else ever could have. "I was just worried," Sasuke whispered, unable to raise his voice any louder. "You left in such a hurry, and you were mad at me. I waited for you to come back so I could find out why you were so mad and make it right, but you didn't come back. I didn't know what had happened to you, and I couldn't go look for you because I'm stuck here until the council decides what they want to do with me."

The anger Sasuke could see in Kakashi's one open eye faded, then vanished completely, replaced by a tiredness that made Sasuke feel inexplicably guilty. "I'm sorry I worried you Sasuke. I just needed to have some time to myself. I ran into a friend and we had a late dinner together. I slept at his place because it was late and the restaurant was closer to his place than to mine."

Sasuke frowned, feeling something ugly growing in his chest. He tried desperately to crush the feeling before it could fully form. "Who were you with?" he asked, unable to remove all the mistrust that laced the question.

Kakashi blinked at him in surprise and said nothing. In that moment Sasuke realized just how close Kakashi was. Only a breath and Kakashi's mask separated their lips. Sasuke's gaze flicked down as if he could see those lips through the blue cloth of Kakashi's mask. Realizing what he was thinking again, Sasuke forced his gaze back up to Kakashi's eye. Now feeling nervous and uncomfortable, Sasuke began to squirm against the door, trying to pull his shoulders from Kakashi's grasp so that he could move away. "I'm sorry, Sensei, I know it's none of my business," Sasuke muttered.

Kakashi let go of Sasuke as quickly as he'd grabbed him and backed up several steps. He stared hard at Sasuke for a moment, then turned away, gathering up clean clothes. "The Hokage sent a message. The council wants to talk to you. Just let me change my clothes and I'll take you to them."

Sasuke moved away from the bathroom door as Kakashi talked. He moved in a way that meant he was always facing Kakashi. He backed up slowly once he was away from the door until the back of his knees hit to edge of Kakashi's bed and buckled. He sat down hard on the end of the bed and just sat there staring at Kakashi, nodding mutely. Kakashi turned his head and looked at him once before stepping into the bathroom, and the look in his open eye was one Sasuke felt sure he should recognize, but he couldn't quite grasp the meaning. Looking away from the older man, Sasuke jumped off the bed and hurried toward the bedroom door as if he were being chased. The soft click of the bathroom door closing behind him sounded painfully loud in the silence as Sasuke hurried from the room.

* * *

**AN:** I had trouble writing this chapter. It came in fits and starts with several walls to be climbed over and blasted through. In the end, I wasn't sure I'd written quite what I had intended. I thought it was a little too disjointed and weak in spots after Kakashi left, but I left it alone and came back to edit this afternoon completely fresh. It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd feared. It took only a little fixing to get it to where I wanted it. This is probably one of my better chapters I think. At least, the later half of it. I'm still pretty annoyed with the first half. It was so damn hard for me to walk that line between the old Sasuke and the Sasuke that's blooming in this story. I'm sure I got it, but... I guess I'm just irritated because I had to work so hard for it. lol

Also, I know I never quite went into what set Kakashi off and sent him running from Sasuke. Don't worry, I didn't forget, I'll get to it soon. Well, maybe not real soon since the meeting with the council is coming up in the next chapter... probably the next two chapters. I'm not sure, I'll have to see how it works out. But worry not, I will not forget to explain to you all (as Kakashi lets it be known... I don't want to give away future plot points. They're major. XD) what's going on with Kakashi and why he was so angry.

It'll probably be a few days at least before I get the next chapter written and posted. Sorry. Going to be very busy the next few days. Thanks for putting up with my erratic posting. I'll try to level it out as best I can after this weekend. Thanks in advance for your comments. I truly enjoy hearing how much you enjoy my work. Makes me want to work more. ;)


	7. Chapter 7

Kakashi laid his clothes on the counter, pretending that he didn't notice how his hands were shaking. He stripped quickly, careful to avoid his reflection in the mirror as he moved. He paused once with only his pants on, though still unfastened, looking over at the closed bathroom door and frowning. Walking over to the door, he lifted a hand and laid the palm flat against the cool wood. After a few moments he shook his head and moved away from the door, fastening his pants as he moved. Catching sight of himself in the mirror over the sink, Kakashi managed to look right through himself, seeing nothing more than one open eye and one closed eye before he turned away. Grabbing his shirt, he pulled it on, taking his time about settling the mask into place and feeling tension drain from his body as he did so.

Tucking the shirt into the top of his pants, Kakashi let himself finally look fully at his reflection in the mirror as he muttered, "You messed up bad, Hatake. And you better find a way to correct it before the boy runs again... if he hasn't already."

Sighing in annoyance, Kakashi pulled the bathroom door open and stepped into his empty room. He ignored the small cot that was Sasuke's as he moved to the small, plain dresser set against one wall and pulled open a small drawer at the top. Pulling out rolls of bandages, Kakashi moved back to his bed and sat down as he began to wrap them around an ankle, slowly up to about mid-shin. He used the simple routine to soothe himself, preparing himself to face Sasuke again. Before beginning to wrap his other ankle, Kakashi lifted his head to stare at the closed door, frowning. As he continued to stare at the door, the frown gradually turned to a scowl.

"Why the hell am I reacting like this to Sasuke? And what the hell has gotten into him to make him act so strangely too?"

Grunting in irritation, Kakashi turned his attention to wrapping his other leg. Finished, he stood and moved back to the dresser and picked up his _hitae-ate_, slipping it on, then slanting it down to cover his left eye. Strapping his shuriken and equipment pouches in place on his body, Kakashi grabbed his vest before turning and walking out of the room. When he stepped into the front of his apartment, he found Sasuke standing at the window, staring out at the falling rain. The tension radiated from the boy's thin frame as he stood stiffly, ignoring Kakashi's return. Shrugging, Kakashi slipped the vest on and closed it before moving across the room to pull his shoes on. He barely glanced up when Sasuke moved over to kneel next to him and pull his own shoes on. When Kakashi stood and pulled his cloak down, draping it over his shoulders, he looked at Sasuke.

"Are you nervous, Sasuke?"

"Why should I be nervous?" Sasuke snapped.

Sighing, Kakashi shook his head and pulled the front door open, stepping out into the rain and pulling the hood of his cloak up as he glanced surreptitiously around the nearby buildings for the ever present ANBU. When Sasuke stepped out behind him, his own hood pulled far enough forward to hide his face even from Kakashi, he finally replied. "Because you're human, Sasuke. Whether you believe it or not, and whether you feel it or not, you are still human, just like the rest of us."

The stunned silence that greeted his response almost made Kakashi smile. Instead, he turned and disappeared into the rain, letting Sasuke follow at his own pace. He barely noticed the boy's presence as they moved through the deserted streets of the village, headed for the Hokage's mansion. It wasn't until the large building appeared out of the rain in front of him that Kakashi realized Sasuke was dampening his chakra again. Frowning, he glanced back, finding his former student right behind him even though he couldn't feel the boy's presence. Turning back forward, Kakashi glanced up at the mansion, finding a cloaked figure waiting for them out front. Not surprised by this, Kakashi walked over the the waiting ninja, then followed him inside. They all paused just inside the building to pull their wet cloaks off, hanging them on hooks next to the door. When Kakashi turned back to face the one that had been sent to escort them, he was surprised to find a familiar mask looking back at him.

"You're the last person I expected to see. You're not normally given menial duties like this," Kakashi drawled.

"I requested to be the one to escort you, Kakashi-senpai."

"Well, this is convenient for me. You were gone before I woke up this morning so I didn't get a chance to thank you for last night."

Kakashi heard the hiss from Sasuke as he caught sight of the boy stiffening at his side. Before he could turn to question Sasuke, the masked ANBU turned and started away, clearly expecting to be followed. "It was my pleasure. You are free to come spend the night with me anytime you like."

Kakashi followed their escort readily, but when he glanced to the side, he found that Sasuke wasn't there. Frowning, he stopped and turned, finding the boy still standing by the door, watching them with an odd look on his pale face. Lifting a hand to motion for their escort to wait a moment, Kakashi moved back to Sasuke, shocked to find that up close, Sasuke looked even paler than he had at a distance. "Sasuke? Are you alright?"

"Is that who you were with last night?" Sasuke asked quietly, voice flat.

Kakashi frowned at Sasuke, then looked back over his shoulder at the waiting ANBU, then back at Sasuke. "Yes, it is. What's wrong Sasuke?"

Shaking his head, Sasuke squared his shoulders and started to walk, color rising in two bright circles high on his cheeks. Frowning, Kakashi moved to catch up with Sasuke, shaking his head in confusion. He knew that there was no way he'd get the truth from Sasuke with someone else nearby to hear, but he made a mental note to press the boy later for more information, when and if they managed to find some time to be alone. When they reached their escort once more, Kakashi smiled behind his mask and motioned the other man on, falling in step behind him, Sasuke walking at his side now. When they reached the room that was their destination, their escort inclined his head, then vanished. Lifting a hand, Kakashi knocked on the door and waited until the barked command to enter came from the other side of the door. Pushing the door open, Kakashi motioned Sasuke in and stepped in after the boy, closing the door behind him. He glanced around at the array of ANBU that had taken up posts all around the room, and wasn't surprised to find their escort among those that were guarding the Hokage and the elders.

"Kakashi Hatake," snapped the old woman who sat to the side, well away from the hokage with the other village elder. "You were expected here earlier."

"Yes, I'm sorry for the delay Lady Koharu, I wasn't home and the messenger you sent couldn't tell me of your decision to speak with Sasuke until I arrived home this morning."

"You should have been home keeping on eye on your former student, Kakashi, that is why he was allowed to stay with you until we made our decision," grumbled the old man.

Kakashi turned his attention to the man and smiled blankly at him. "I'm aware of that Lord Homura, but I needed some personal time and I knew Sasuke wasn't going to be a problem. Besides, with all the ANBU stationed around my apartment building, he couldn't have sneezed without you knowing about it."

"Cut the jokes, Kakashi," snapped the hokage.

Kakashi bowed his head, letting the empty smile drop away before he stood back up. "My apologies, Lady Tsunade."

"We wish to speak with the Uchiha alone. You can wait out in the hall until we are done talking to him," the older woman stated pointedly. Kakashi bowed his head again and turned to leave. Just before he reached the door, the old woman called his name, drawing his attention once more. "Kakashi, don't think that we've forgotten that you hid this boy's presence from the village for two days when you should have let us know the moment you discovered him in your apartment. We'll discuss that later however."

Knowing he'd been dismissed, Kakashi pulled the door open and stepped into the hall. He turned and started to pull the door closed behind him, catching Sasuke staring after him, a look that could only be described as longing filling his eyes. Kakashi gave the boy a barely perceptible nod just before the door closed. Moving across the hall, Kakashi leaned himself back against the wall to wait. He stared intently at the door, wondering what decision the council had come to, and trying not to let his imagination fill his mind with wild ideas. After a few minutes, he reached behind himself and pulled out a much read book from his equipment pouch, flipped it open and began to read. As he waited and read, he heard Sasuke's voice raised several times, quickly followed by the hokage's voice before things would settle back into silence. Each time he heard Sasuke's voice raised, Kakashi would close the book over his thumb, staring intently at the door, ready to save Sasuke if things should get out of hand.

"Save him? I'm actually thinking about going against the council and the hokage to save Sasuke if he gets in trouble? What am I thinking?" Kakashi wondered allowed, frowning at the door across from himself.

"You know what they say about ninjas that talk to themselves," came a quiet voice from a few steps away.

Suppressing his start of surprise, Kakashi glanced over at the man that had spoken, smiling behind his mask. "Well, I don't know about those other ninjas, but in my case it means I've been penned up in a small apartment with a recalcitrant former student too long. Hello, Genma. I didn't hear you coming. I guess I'm thinking too hard."

"So, it's true then? The Uchiha came back to the village?"

"Yes, it's true. I wasn't aware that it was common knowledge however."

Genma grinned at Kakashi, his ever present senbon wiggling up and down between his teeth. "It isn't. I heard Naruto Uzumaki arguing with the hokage yesterday."

Kakashi felt himself grinning in spite of his distraction. "You let Lady Tsunade find out you've been eavesdropping and I pity you."

"She won't find out. It's not like I make it a habit. Well, I should get this report delivered. Come by and see me when you get the chance. We haven't talked in a while."

Kakashi nodded, then turned his attention back to the door as Genma headed off down the hall. When the sound of Genma's footsteps had faded back into silence, Kakashi lifted his book and flipped it open again. He stared at the page, the words swimming in and out of focus as he found himself straining his ears to hear even the smallest sound from the room across the hall. Sighing, he closed the book and reached back to slip it into his equipment pouch once more and gave in to his desire to pace. Back and forth he moved, never straying more than a few feet down the hall, wanting to be close enough to hear Sasuke if he needed him. Though he knew it was foolish to think he could, would or should defend Sasuke if the village turned against him, Kakashi knew that he would do just that. The connection that had been born between sensei and student and then strengthened between mentor and disciple hadn't been broken by Sasuke's abrupt departure. When the boy returned that bond had begun to strengthen once again.

"And there's something else that's drawing me to him as well," Kakashi murmured to himself. Frowning, he contemplated this thought, searching for the answer to what that 'something else' could possibly be, only to be snapped out of his reverie what seemed like only moments later then the door finally clicked open again, revealing one of the many ANBU from the room.

"They ready for me now?" Kakashi drawled blandly.

"Yes, please come in."

The masked ninja stepped back, disappearing into the room, and Kakashi moved across the hall to take the place he had just vacated. Stepping into the room, Kakashi's gaze went immediately to Sasuke. The young man was standing in the center of the room where Kakashi had left him. His face was drawn and pale, anger burned in his eyes and kept his lips in a tense line. Kakashi could see how he fought to keep his temper under control and he felt pride in his former student surge through him briefly. Moving across the room, he stopped next to Sasuke and lifted a hand to rest lightly on his shoulder, before turning his attention to the two elderly council members and the smug looking hokage.

"Several decisions have been reached. We'll start with the decision we made about how to deal with your actions in hiding the presence of a rogue ninja. To put it simply, had it been any other ninja, they would have been stripped of their rank if not arrested and branded rogue themselves."

"More like if I would let you go that far," Tsunade muttered, drawing Kakashi's attention briefly.

The older woman continued as if there hadn't been an interruption, drawing Kakashi's attention back to her. "You are one of the best ninjas this village as ever created, and as such, you will be afforded a little more leeway than most would be. However, your actions will not go without some form of chastisement. It is this council's decision that you will have limited missions for the next few months and will remain under probation for the next year. Your actions will be closely monitored, and any infractions will be dealt with much more harshly."

"Also," continued Lord Homura when Lady Koharu fell silent, "we have decided that you will be the one to watch and police Sasuke Uchiha's actions. We have decided rather than turn him out of the village or put him in jail, we'd give him the benefit of the doubt considering his past and his age at the time of his transgression, though he will be kept on a much tighter leash than the one you find holding yourself. He will continue to live with you for the next year so that you are able to keep a close eye on him during his time of rehabilitation."

"Wait, I have to live with Sasuke for a _year_? My apartment is just big enough for one. For a few days it was manageable, if a bit annoying at times, but we couldn't continue tripping over one another in that tiny apartment for an entire year!" Kakashi protested, his gaze moving from the old councilors back to the hokage, knowing he had a better chance of finding sympathy there.

"We've already considered that, Kakashi," Tsunade replied wearily. "At this time, the best we can offer you however is a slightly larger apartment. It's still only a one bedroom apartment, but it's intended for newlywed ninjas, so the apartment is much bigger than your single ninja apartment. If a two-bedroom apartment should come available in the next year, we will move you to one."

Kakashi turned his attention to Sasuke who was still tense and angry beside him, but who had remained silent through the whole exchange. "Sasuke? Are you ok with this?"

"Do I have a choice?" Sasuke asked irritably.

"No, you do not," replied the old man, drawing a glare from Kakashi.

Turning his attention back to Sasuke, Kakashi waited until he'd gotten the boy's undivided attention before speaking. "I want to know how you feel about this. Are you ok with continuing to live with me for the next year?"

Sasuke sighed and some of the tension bled away with the sound. "Yes, sensei. I came back here to make amends and to deal with the mess I made of my life. If I'm required to live with you in recompense for what I've done, then that's what I'll do. It could be worse after all, they could make me live with Naruto."

Kakashi grinned behind his mask, then turned back to the council and nodded his head. "Fine, we accept your decision. Is Sasuke free to leave my apartment now?"

"He can go out, but he will have an obvious ANBU escort for the time being, until the village has learned of his return and accepted his presence. After that, the ANBU will continue to watch him when he leaves the apartment, but always from a distance," Tsunade answered.

"How long is he going to be tailed by the ANBU?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"Until we deem it no longer necessary," Lady Koharu snapped.

Kakashi lifted his hands in a warding off gesture and bowed his head politely. "I was just wondering, My Lady. I wasn't demanding. Is there anything else?"

"No," Tsunade replied quickly, standing up and moving to stand in front of them. "Those are the decisions that have been reached. Should anything else come up, you will be notified. We'll place you in the new apartment within the next couple of days."

Kakashi nodded and tugged at Sasuke's shoulder when they were dismissed. He bowed his head again to each person, smiled behind his mask at their escort, then turned and walked out of the room, listening to the sound of Sasuke trailing quietly behind him. Once they stepped back outside into the lightly falling rain, settling their hoods into place, Kakashi looked back at Sasuke, meaning to ask him about what had happened while he was out in the hall, but seeing that the tension had returned to Sasuke once again, Kakashi decided to let it go for the time being. Slipping into the rain, they hurried through the quiet village, heading back to the apartment. Once they were safely inside, Sasuke's ANBU tail off to where ever he was going to wait in case Sasuke left the apartment again, Kakashi finally spoke again. "We were there longer than I'd thought. I'm going to make some lunch, would you like something to eat Sasuke?"

Sasuke only shook his head as he slipped his shoes off, then walked silently across the apartment to the bedroom door. Kakashi watched him open it and step through, closing the door quietly behind himself before sighing and turning to the small kitchenette. "You're going to want to talk about it eventually Sasuke, I know you are. I just hope you know I'll be here for you when you're ready."

* * *

**AN:** This chapter started off easily, I had Kakashi's encounter with their ANBU escort in my mind long before I started. (A cookie to the person that knows who that ANBU is. I think it's obvious because I pick up on little details of characters, including the way they speak.) I had little trouble getting to that point, though it didn't happen quite like I expected. Sasuke's reaction was also a point that was firmly in my mind before I started the chapter. The initial meeting was a little sketchy to me, but I knew that Kakashi would be kicked out of the initial meeting. (Don't worry, you will eventually mind out the important parts of what went on.) Everything after than came in bits and pieces. Each time I'd start to write well something would come up. Weekends are just too busy for me. Genma's arrival wasn't expected, though I figured out pretty quickly it was a procrastination attempt on my muses part because neither of us were certain about the rest of the chapter. (Except Sasuke living with Kakashi for the next year. I've known that since the start. lol) But, I made it through last this afternoon. It was such a struggle however I wound up with a splitting headache. (The creative process hurts sometimes. lol) This would be why this chapter is being posted so late. Not sure what happens next, but I'm letting it go for the night, it'll come to me when I stop trying. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Sasuke watched the remnants of clouds drift across the moon, listening to the sounds of night insects and the songs of happy frogs croaking away in the distance. Pulling his gaze away from his contemplation of the moon, he looked at the entrance to the former Uchiha compound. In his mind he could see the bodies and the blood again, though the image now took on a different feeling to him. It was still laced with grief and guilt, but now the fear was gone and the anger had shifted from his brother to a different target. A more deserving target. Pushing the images from his mind, Sasuke turned his gaze back up to the moon.

When he heard someone walk up behind him, Sasuke didn't move, didn't look. After a few moments he drew a deep breath and sighed before speaking. "You know, when you got angry with me yesterday and walked out, I told myself that I'd made a mistake coming back here. I said that I didn't think I could be the person you want me to be. Today, listening to those idiots pass judgment on me, knowing what they did to my brother and I, I realized that too many people had high expectations for me. I'd be a fool to try to live up to the standards that other people set for me. I have to be who _I_ want to be, not who everyone else expects me to be."

Kakashi stepped up next to Sasuke and turned his gaze up to peer at the moon as well, hands clasped behind his back. If he was surprised that Sasuke had identified him without looking, he didn't show it. "I'm sorry if I've been too hard on you, Sasuke. I didn't mean to put unfair expectations on you. What I want shouldn't matter to you, that's true, but at the same time, don't think that what I want is much different from what you want."

"How can you know what I want? I don't even know what I want yet."

"Oh, you know, you just haven't managed to uncover it yet. Right now your desires for yourself are still buried under the unrealistic expectations that drove you back home."

"I think that whatever good I had left in me died with my brother."

"That's not true Sasuke."

Looking at Kakashi for the first time, Sasuke scowled, feeling the familiar and comfortable heat of his anger rising in him. "How do you know? How could you know me better than I know myself?"

Kakashi didn't look away from the moon, feeding the flames of Sasuke's anger, before his reply spilled water over those flames, dousing them easily. "Because if there was no good left in you, you'd never have come running home with a broken heart and a dream to make right everything that you did wrong."

Sasuke looked away from Kakashi, his gaze searching the darkness for his ANBU escort, though he'd been unable to spot the man since he'd faded into the shadows when Sasuke stopped. "How did you find me?" he asked at last.

"It wasn't difficult. It's the middle of the night, so I knew you hadn't gone to see Sakura. The only other place you were likely to be was here. To be honest, I expected to have to search the entire compound for you."

"I'm not allowed to go in, so you don't have to worry about that."

Kakashi finally pulled his gaze away from the moon, looking at Sasuke, the mask and shadows cast over his face unable to hide the surprise. "What?"

"I'm not allowed to set foot in my clan's compound. It's one of the rules they set for me. I don't know what trouble they think I could cause by going home, and they didn't feel the need to tell me, but this place is so filled with painful memories that are now confused with everything I learned that I don't think I _want_ to go in."

"Then why are you here?" Kakashi asked quietly his attention shifting back to the moon high overhead.

"Because I needed to see it. I haven't really come home until I _come home_. To be honest, I don't think I'll come back here again after this."

"Someday you will."

Sasuke ignored the contradiction, changing the subject again. "Why are you here? You were asleep when I left."

"I woke up and you were gone, so I came to find you," Kakashi stated bluntly.

"Why?"

"I was worried about you."

Sasuke frowned, confused by the answer and turned to look at Kakashi again. "Why?"

Kakashi sighed and turned to face Sasuke. "Because you never said a word after we left the hokage mansion this afternoon. You went into the room and didn't emerge for lunch or dinner. I left you to your privacy, figuring you had a lot you needed to think about. You were asleep when I slipped in to use the bathroom once or twice and were still asleep when I went to bed myself. To wake up in the middle of the night and find you suddenly gone worried me."

"You thought I left again."

Kakashi nodded and smiled, his other mask. Lifting a hand he rubbed at the back of his head and played at being embarrassed, though Sasuke knew better. "Yes, I did. I thought your meeting with the council was too much for you today and you changed your mind about coming home."

"I wasn't asleep."

"What?" Kakashi asked in confusion, head tilted to the side.

"I wasn't asleep. Each time I heard the door open I closed my eyes and evened out my breathing so you'd think I was asleep and not talk to me."

"You didn't have to go to all that trouble Sasuke. I knew you didn't want to talk and wouldn't have pressed you."

"I won't leave again. No matter how hard it gets, I'm not running away ever again. I can't fix things by pretending they aren't there or running away from them."

"That's very perceptive of you."

"No it's not," Sasuke snorted. "You told me that a long time ago. I did listen when you talked, Sensei, I just usually choose to not heed what I was hearing."

"So you've told me before. It's a balm for my wounded sensibilities as a sensei to hear it again, though."

"I wanted to kill them. I probably would have tried, even with all the ANBU in the room and knowing I'd never succeed, or live through the attempt. Then I thought about you standing out in the hall, waiting for me and that kept me from acting hastily. You've gone out of your way to help me since I came back, and I didn't want my actions to have repercussions on you. Or, at least, no more than they already have. Besides, killing Itachi didn't satisfy me, so I didn't think killing them would satisfy me either. It was hard to stand there and listen to them talk so poorly about my brother, though. He literally gave everything to protect this village and his reward was ostracization and death at my hands."

"You have to find a way to let that anger go, Sasuke. It's not going to help you."

"I know that. They're still alive aren't they? Besides, as long as I don't have to listen to anyone else talk badly about my brother, it won't be an issue."

"Come on Sasuke, let's go home. It's late and you need your sleep."

"And you don't?" Sasuke asked with some amusement.

"I do, but I'm not a growing boy. I don't need it as much."

"Tch, don't call me a boy, Sensei. I haven't been a boy in a long time."

Kakashi studied Sasuke's face by the light of the moon, then looked away, his attention seemingly riveted on something in the distance that Sasuke couldn't see. "You're right, I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound patronizing. You want to head back now?"

Sasuke just nodded, giving the compound one last glance, his gaze traveling slowly over the fan, the Uchiha sigil, before turning away and walking back toward the area of the village that he now lived in with Kakashi. When Kakashi fell in step beside him, Sasuke glanced back to find his ANBU escort only a few feet behind. Smirking, he turned his attention back forward, slipping through the night, relishing the silence, knowing that this would be the only peace he was going to have for a long time to come. His life had been irrevocably changed, and his meeting with the elder councilors that afternoon had brought this truth home for Sasuke and he'd at last found a way to accept it. Now he knew that for all he couldn't change, there was so much that he was going to have to change, and none of it was going to be easy. The idea to run from it never crossed his mind, his pride would hold him in the village if there was nothing else. Sasuke knew it wasn't just pride that kept him in Konoha, though.

Stepping in to the dark apartment, Sasuke felt tiredness at last seep into him, making his eyes burn and his movements heavy. He bent to pull his shoes off, then stood and hung his cloak on one of the hooks by the door. Turning, he headed across the small dark room for the slightly ajar bedroom door. When he reached the door, Kakashi called his name, drawing his attention. Glancing back, Sasuke found Kakashi sitting on the couch in the dark. Frowning, Sasuke moved over to stand at the end of the couch, looking down at Kakashi.

"Aren't you going to bed, Sensei?"

Kakashi shook his head, his eyes closing and crinkling up with the smile that was hidden behind his mask. "No, I'm done sleeping for the night. I'm just going to sit out here and think. There's just one other thing I wanted to talk to you about before you sleep."

Narrowing his eyes as suspicion flared in him, Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and grunted, "What?"

"I wanted to try to explain why I was angry yesterday. Why I left like I did."

Sasuke couldn't have been more surprised if the man had offered to reveal his face. Dropping his arms to his sides, Sasuke moved and sat down on the arm of the couch, peering at Kakashi in the darkness. "Ok, I'm listening."

Kakashi's quiet chuckle was startling in the darkness, but Sasuke ignored it, concentrating on what the man had to say. "I'm frustrated with you Sasuke. I see you making so many strides in the right direction, and I know you're going to be ok. But, too often, like yesterday, you're inclined to play stupid, let yourself be led. Wait a minute," Kakashi hurriedly added when Sasuke felt anger flare, ready with a nasty retort. "I'm not being insulting Sasuke, I'm telling the truth. The truth is rarely pretty when it's a truth we don't wish to face. The fact is, you're so scared of screwing up again that you keep slipping back and it frustrates me. I don't want to see you lose all the ground you've gained since you returned, but I know that there's nothing I can do to stop that. You have to make your own way, just like I told you. In that sense I was angry with you, yes, but I was also angry because I'm frustrated at the position I find myself in, wanting to help you, pull you along the right course, but knowing I can't."

Sasuke didn't know what to say to Kakashi's explanation, so he remained silent in the darkness, considering what he was being told. When Kakashi spoke again, Sasuke lifted his head to stare at the man's profile. "Besides, I'm not sure how to react to you anymore. You've changed, and I'm watching you change more each day. You're growing up Sasuke, and I really like the man I see you have the potential to become."

Sasuke frowned, knowing that Kakashi was hiding something, but too tired to figure it out, or to figure a way to pry it out of the older man. His own reaction to Kakashi's words were another distraction and feeling to be puzzled over. Pushing to his feet, Sasuke stared at Kakashi's profile for a moment longer, then turned and walked over to the bedroom door. He paused just before stepping through, looking back to find Kakashi watching him intently in the dark. Feeling his heart begin to beat a little faster, Sasuke frowned and turned, stepping into the room and softly closing the door behind him. Letting his need for sleep clear his mind, Sasuke stripped down to his boxers and slid into his bed, pulling the blanket up around his chin, sinking gratefully into the oblivion of sleep.

* * *

**AN:** I know this chapter is kind of short since it's so dialogue intensive, but it was a much needed conversation between the two. And it's your first peek into what happened in that closed room. And a few peeks at things that are starting to change between the two.

A fun fact about this chapter: I knew that a talk was going to happen in this chapter, but I didn't know how, or how much they were going to talk about. (I knew Kakashi's confession... at least partially, about his anger was coming this chapter.) Then, as I was changing my sheets last night and listening to music, my muse stirred. Hearing Daughtry's "Home" filled my head with this chapter. (I'm sure the sheets aren't on properly and I really should go remake my bed. I was in a bit of a hurry. lol) I wrote as quickly as I could until I just couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. So, at shortly after 2 in the morning, I saved and gave up writing for the night. I wasn't sure where to go from where I left off this morning, but turning on the song that started it all gave me the answers I needed and I finished it in a flash. It's funny where inspiration blooms sometimes. Here's hoping the next chapter comes even half this easily.


	9. Chapter 9

Kakashi sighed when he heard the soft knock on his apartment door. He debated continuing his brooding and ignoring the knock, but knew he couldn't. Taking one last swallow of coffee, he pushed to his feet, set the cup in the sink. He moved out of the kitchenette, pausing to glance back over his shoulder at the bedroom door before walking over to pull the front door open. He didn't get many visitors, but since he'd arrived home to find Sasuke in his bed, he'd had quite a few. None of them had been pleasant, so he resigned himself for another unpleasant day. Finding Sakura on the other side of his door was not really a surprise, he'd known it was only a matter of time before she heard, what was a surprise was the anger he could see flashing in her eyes.

_What happened to that soft little girl that was so in love with Sasuke?_ Kakashi wondered as he braced himself. "Good morning Sakura. Was there something you needed?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Sensei, I know he's here."

"Know who's here?" Kakashi asked innocently, smiling behind his mask.

"I want to talk to him, Sensei. Why didn't you let me know he was back?"

Kakashi sighed and lifted a hand, rubbing the back of his head as he wondered just how much one person's presence could possible turn his life upside down, afraid that he was going to find out, want to or not. "For the same reason I didn't tell Naruto. Since I'm sure he's the one that informed you of Sasuke's presence here, I'm also sure that he told you what I told him. As for talking to Sasuke, he had a... late night. He's still asleep. It's rather early, Sakura. Why don't you come back later?"

Sakura shook her head, hands balling into fists at her side. "I have a mission. Besides, I've waited long enough. Go wake him up."

Kakashi started to protest, but one look into the earnest green eyes glaring up at him made him relent and nod, before stepping in invitation. "Fine, just a minute."

Irritated at being reduced to a messenger for his former students, Kakashi turned and walked away, leaving Sakura to enter or stand outside as she would. Entering the dark room, Kakashi frowned, closing the door behind himself. He gave his eye a moment to adjust to the dark enough to be able to move without tripping over anything, then moved across the room to the bathroom. Opening the door slightly, Kakashi snaked a hand in to turn the light on, then adjusted the door to allow more of the light to shine into the room, careful to not open it so wide that it would be shining right in Sasuke's face when he woke up. Moving back across the room, Kakashi stood beside Sasuke's bed, gazing down at the boy silently for several minutes. Slowly, Kakashi lowered himself to kneel beside the bed, moving so he was closer to Sasuke, looking at the boy's peaceful face as he thought about their conversation the night before.

When Sasuke shifted in his sleep, Kakashi snapped back to the present. Lifting his head, he glanced at the closed bedroom door, wondering in amusement how long Sakura would wait before coming to knock. Knowing that his former student had a mission, he decided to not test the subject. Looking back down at Sasuke, Kakashi reached out a hand to shake the boy awake gently, but as if it had a mind of its own, his hand didn't go to Sasuke's exposed shoulder, but to his face, fingertips lightly stroking Sasuke's cheek, marveling at the softness. Snatching his hand back, Kakashi frowned and pushed to his feet, moving back several steps to stare at the boy as his hand continued to flex convulsively at his side. The urge to walk back out of the room and tell Sakura she would have to come back after her mission was almost overwhelming. In that moment Kakashi wanted to move away from Sasuke and stay away from him for as long as he could, until he understood what made him want so suddenly to touch the boy. Seeing Sasuke at peace, his face no longer lined by his perpetual anger made the boy appealing, but that didn't tell him why he wanted so desperately to touch him in that moment.

"You're being a fool and a coward, Hatake! Just wake the boy, tell him he has a visitor and leave," he scolded himself.

Drawing a deep breath, Kakashi moved back over to Sasuke's side and bent over, placing a hand lightly on the boy's shoulder. He ignored the pleasant feeling of that soft warm flesh under his hand and gave Sasuke a gentle nudge, barely shaking him. When Sasuke's eyes snapped open, Kakashi withdrew his hand and stepped back. Waiting until wakefulness came fully to the boy before he spoke. "I'm sorry to wake you. I'd have let you sleep as long as you wanted if I had a choice, but you have a very insistent visitor out front."

Sasuke frowned and slowly rolled onto his back, pulling his hands out of the tangle of sheet and blanket to rub sleep from his eyes. "Who is it?"

"I think you can probably guess who it is if you think about it for a moment," Kakashi drawled, voice at it's most bland.

Kakashi watched the nervous fear grip Sasuke, and was proud to see it fade just as fast as it arrived. "She's finally heard. I was hoping to have a few more days to think about what I was going to say to her, but I suppose it can't be helped."

Kakashi stepped back a little further as Sasuke turned and sat up, legs draped over the edge of the bed, hands resting on his knees. When Sasuke threw the covers back and pushed to his feet, Kakashi was reminded that the boy preferred to sleep in nothing but his boxers. Clearing his throat, Kakashi moved past Sasuke for the bedroom door. "You can do this, Sasuke, I have faith in you. I'm going to go take care of something, so you two will have your privacy. I'll be back later."

"Kakashi," Sasuke called curiously as he pulled the door open. Kakashi glanced back at Sasuke, ignoring the reluctance he felt to look at the boy. "Why does it seem like you're running away?"

Kakashi grinned behind his mask. "Because I am. You really think I want to stay here and witness this?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, looking suspiciously at Kakashi, then just grunted and turned away, gathering up his clothes and moving toward the bathroom. Kakashi sighed as he watched the boy move, then called out quietly, just before stepping back into the front of the apartment, "Don't leave her waiting too long. Sakura has changed a lot since you left, and you don't want to find out just how much with her angry at you."

Kakashi didn't wait for a reply before he closed the door behind him. He wasn't surprised to find Sakura standing close to the front door rather than sitting. Kakashi moved over to the girl and smiled at her before leaning down to pull his shoes on. "Sasuke will be with you in a few minutes, Sakura. He's getting cleaned up and dressed. I told him not to keep you waiting, he shouldn't be too long."

Standing up again, Kakashi grabbed his cloak from one of the hooks by the door and pulled it on. "Good luck on your mission, Sakura."

"Thank you, Sensei," Sakura replied dutifully, though her gaze was locked inexorably on the bedroom door as she waited for Sasuke.

Sighing, Kakashi pulled the apartment door open and stepped out into the cool morning air, completely unnoticed. Pulling the door closed behind him, Kakashi allowed himself a moment to enjoy the warmth of the sun on his face before leaping to a nearby roof and disappearing into the heart of the village. Contrary to what he'd told Sasuke, however, he had no particular destination in mind. He jumped from building to building, enjoying the biting coldness of the morning air on his face as he moved. After several minutes of aimless travel, Kakashi moved to the edge of the village, finding a favorite tree and settling himself on a branch, meaning to enjoy some quiet time to read. Remembering that he hadn't strapped on his equipment pouch, and was therefor without his favorite books, Kakashi uttered a sharp curse under his breath. Settling back against the trunk of the tree, Kakashi contented himself instead with watching the changing patterns of shadows cast by the trees as the wind shifted the branches, changing the angle of sunlight.

Since he hadn't planned on sleeping, Kakashi was startled when he was jolted from sleep. Sitting up and peering around for whatever danger it was that had snatched him from sleep, Kakashi tried to remember what he had dreamed of. When no danger presented itself and he couldn't remember what he'd dreamed, Kakashi guessed his dream hadn't been a pleasant one and he was glad he couldn't remember it. Climbing to his feet stiffly, Kakashi stretched himself, working the knots from his muscles. Looking at the position of the sun, he realized he'd been asleep for several hours and it was now early afternoon. Figuring that was why he was so stiff, Kakashi jumped from the tree and began a leisurely stroll through the village back to his apartment, in no hurry to get home.

Arriving at the apartment, Kakashi felt no trace of Sasuke's chakra and resisted the desire to wilt in relief. Unlocking the door and stepping into the silent apartment, Kakashi could only stand in the doorway frowning. Something seemed out of place to him and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Nothing was missing, nothing was moved, yet he couldn't shake that feeling that something wasn't right. After several moments he realized that he'd grown so accustomed to Sasuke's presence that the lack of his chakra signature made the apartment seem empty. Shaking his head, Kakashi pushed the door closed and removed his cloak and shoes before stepping deeper into the small apartment. A flash of white caught his eye and he moved into the kitchenette, finding a piece of paper laying on the table, waiting for him.

Picking the paper up, Kakashi read the short note Sasuke had left for him:

_Kakashi,_

_I've gone out to take care of a few errands myself. I'll try to be back before it gets late, but if I don't, try not to worry about me. I won't get myself into trouble if I can help it, and my "escort" probably wouldn't let me leave the village even if I wanted to._

_Sasuke_

Kakashi dropped the note back to the table and moved back into the living room, dropping down onto the couch with a grunt. Frowning, he found himself wondering why Sasuke hadn't mentioned his talk with Sakura. Actually mildly relieved that the boy hadn't wanted to talk about it, Kakashi relaxed, his mind turning to thoughts of what the boy could be doing that might possibly keep him out late enough to make Kakashi worry.

"He's probably trying to hide from everyone while he deals with whatever Sakura said," Kakashi mumbled before pushing to his feet and moving into the bedroom to grab his book. "Ah well, it's all part of growing up, Sasuke. I just hope you make the right decisions."

* * *

**AN:** I sat down earlier to start this chapter. I've been unproductive, but since I had the opening scene so strong in my head, I decided to write what I have. I saw up to Kakashi standing there looking at Sasuke. I knew there would be a softer moment, but I didn't know exactly what it would be. I found out! As I was writing, I just.. kept going. I got what was in my head, and yet didn't stop writing. However, the scene in the bedroom didn't go quite how I planned, so the plot twisted. Kakashi wasn't supposed to leave. He was actually supposed to be there to talk to Sasuke after Sakura left. He was going to go outside and talk to the ANBU initially, but with what happened with Sasuke, he felt the need to put some distance between them, so the plot changed.

I'm kind of stuck for what exactly happens next. The only thing I have in my head now is much further into the story. Hopefully it'll come to me soon. Again, thanks for your patience and all the reviews. Your lovely comments make my muse want to cooperate with me. ;)


	10. Chapter 10

Sasuke slipped through the dark sleeping village a scowl twisting his features into an unpleasant mask. When he arrived at the apartment he shared with his former sensei, the scowl slipped away before a tired sigh escaped his lips. Shoving a hand into his pocket, Sasuke pulled the door key out, eyeing the light shining through the front window. It was the middle of the night and he'd expected Kakashi to be asleep long before he came home, as he usually was. Shoving the key into the lock, Sasuke gave it a violent twist, venting a smattering of his anger in that one harsh movement. Pushing the door open and stepping into the warm apartment, Sasuke glanced across the room at the couch, expecting to see Kakashi looking back at him from his one uncovered eye. Seeing Kakashi stretched out on the couch, asleep with one of his ever present perverted novels laid across his stomach, Sasuke stopped. When a cold breeze blew in around him, Sasuke shook himself and stepped fully into the apartment, closing the door behind himself.

Bending to pull his shoes off, Sasuke kept his gaze riveted on the sleeping Kakashi, a small frown pulling down the corners of his mouth. Since they'd moved in to the slightly larger apartment Sasuke only seemed to see Kakashi late at night when he'd come home, long after the older man had gone to bed. Since Kakashi was always gone before he woke up in the morning, Sasuke had begun to wonder if Kakashi were avoiding him. However, when their paths did cross, Kakashi always wanted answers that Sasuke couldn't provide, so he found himself preferring the time apart from Kakashi. When he'd find himself missing the older man, Sasuke would push the feelings aside ruthlessly and turn his thoughts to something else, though he'd begun to realize that no matter what he did, as long as he was living with his former sensei, the man was never going to be far from his thoughts.

Sighing, Sasuke stood and pulled his cloak off, frowning at the flakes of snow that drifted down around himself. Cursing, he turned and opened the apartment door, shaking the snow off the cloak outside, then quickly closing the door again before hanging the cloak next to Kakashi's. Sasuke took a moment to lock the door and put the usual trap in place over it, before turning and walking across the room to the couch. He stood peering down at Kakashi for a moment, grinning in spite of himself at the thought of being able to peek under Kakashi's mask while the older man was asleep.

_You should have gotten over that childish desire a long time ago, Uchiha,_ he thought as he reached over to turn the light off. Turning away, Sasuke moved quietly to the hall that led back to the bedroom, only to be stopped by the sound of movement behind him. Sighing, Sasuke turned back around, seeing Kakashi sitting up on the couch in the dim light shining in from the kitchen.

Moving over to the side, Sasuke leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, frowning at Kakashi. "I'm sorry if I woke you up, I was trying to be quiet."

"I wasn't really sleeping that deeply. I've been waiting for you to come home."

Stifling another sigh before it can slip free, Sasuke looked boredly at Kakashi, ignoring the warm flush the rippled through him at Kakashi's words. "Why are you waiting for me? Is there something you need?"

The look in Kakashi's one visible eye was one Sasuke couldn't quite identify, but it strangely made him feel that warmth slide through him again. "Yes, I need some answers," Kakashi eventually replied.

Clenching his jaws and fighting not to scowl, Sasuke dipped his head forward slightly, not quite making eye contact with his former sensei any longer. "Answers about what?"

"About where you've been. I've barely seen you since we moved in to this apartment. You go out in the early evenings and don't come back until the middle of the night. I thought at first you were just avoiding me, but I think it's more than that. What's going on, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shrugged, looking around the living room, his gaze flicking from object to object, settling everyone but on Kakashi. "I've got some things that I need to take care of. Don't worry, Sensei, I'm not doing anything bad."

Kakashi pushed to his feet, drawing Sasuke's attention back to him. Seeing the older man frowning at him, Sasuke started to stiffen, feeling defensive even before Kakashi spoke. "I don't believe you Sasuke. You're exhausted, I can see it on your face even now. I see you in the morning when I wake up. Even when you're asleep, you're not resting. Something is going on, and I want to know what it is."

Sasuke smirked, pushing away from the wall to stand straight as he looked across the room at Kakashi. "I'm exhausted because it's the middle of the night and I'm standing in the living room being questioned rather than sleeping like I want to be."

"Why don't you want to talk to me about whatever it is that's going on, Sasuke?"

"Because it's none of your business," Sasuke snapped before turning and stomping out of the living room.

Kakashi caught him in the hall, just past the bathroom and only a few feet from the imagined relative safety of the bedroom. "Sasuke," Kakashi snapped as his hand clamped on Sasuke's shoulder, turning him back around to face him. "You came back here looking for my help. I can't help you if you won't tell me what's going on."

Sasuke glared up at Kakashi, hands fisting at his sides. "I don't _want_ your help anymore, Sensei, so just forget it!"

When he tried to move away, Kakashi's grip on his shoulder tightened and he was jerked back. "No, I won't forget it," Kakashi said quietly as he moved closer, nearly pinning Sasuke against the wall. Flashing back to his first week back in Konoha, remembering Kakashi pinning him against the bathroom door in his old apartment, Sasuke felt that flush ripple through him again, almost distracting him from Kakashi's next question. "Are you in trouble, Sasuke?"

Sasuke tried to glare up at Kakashi, but he found the effort too difficult with the older man standing so close. "No, I'm not. Not yet anyway."

"Tell me what's going on with you, Sasuke. Please."

The quiet pleading behind that last word finally broke past Sasuke's already weakened resolve. "I'm not supposed to tell you about it. If I tell you, you have to promise you won't try to get involved, or let anyone else know that I told you."

Kakashi frowned, his silver eyebrows drawing down over the bridge of his nose. "I can't promise that until you tell me what it is."

"Then I can't tell you," Sasuke stated firmly.

Kakashi examined him closely, his one black eye traveling over Sasuke's face as if he could find the answers he sought written somewhere on his flesh. "You really are in trouble, aren't you Sasuke?"

"Not in the way you're probably thinking."

Sighing, Kakashi let go of Sasuke's shoulder, but didn't step back. His shoulders slumped and he lifted his hands at his sides. "Ok, I promise I won't say anything, now tell me what's going on."

"When I went to see the council to hear my fate, they asked me about Madara. They weren't satisfied with what I told them, so I've been dragged back again and again as they sought answers I don't have. They think that there's something I've forgotten, or maybe something that Madara has hidden from my memory and they're trying to find it. I was told not to tell anyone about it, but especially not you."

Kakashi frowned harder and took a step back, his hands dropping and fisting at his sides. He stared intently at Sasuke for several moments, the silence stretching out between them. The air seemed to crackle with electricity, a tangible embodiment of the emotion that filled Kakashi's eye. "What are they doing to you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shrugged and leaned back against the wall, suddenly tired. "I don't remember. I think it's some kind of hypnotism used by the ANBU to get answers from strong enemies. All I know is that when it's over I have a headache, and I'm tired."

Kakashi moved back another step, then turned and began to pace the hall in front of Sasuke. Sasuke continued leaning against the wall, watching the older man move and feeling himself growing more tired with each heartbeat. When Kakashi stopped and spun around to face him again, Sasuke caught and held his breath, staring into that blazing black eye. "Why are you letting them do this to you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke could only shrug, knowing that Kakashi wouldn't like his answer. After a few moments debate, he decides to give the man a partial answer. "Because if I have information that would be helpful to the village, I want them to have it. I'll do whatever I can to help. Besides, I think in their eyes, my cooperation is atoning for my past deeds."

Kakashi scowled at him, making Sasuke want to squirm in a way he hadn't since he was a child. "How long has this been going on?"

"Since the day Sakura came to see me. I was sent for while you were gone. It was on and off at first, but they're doing it more and more often now."

Kakashi leaned back slightly, frowning. "Then why are you going out every day?"

Clearing his throat, Sasuke looked away from Kakashi and let a little more of the truth out. "Mostly to avoid having this talk with you."

Sighing, Kakashi shook his head and lifted a hand, motioning at the closed bedroom door. "Go get some sleep Sasuke. I'm sorry I've kept you up when you're obviously so tired. And I'm sorry to question you like this. How pleasant, you go to those vultures on the council to be questioned then come home to be questioned again."

"It's ok Kakashi. I've been wanting to tell you about this for a couple of weeks now. I'm relieved to finally be able to stop hiding it from you. I knew you were going to find out somehow and I figured you'd be mad at me for not telling you."

"I should be mad at you, but I understand why you didn't tell me. Go to bed, Sasuke."

"Yes, Sensei," Sasuke murmured automatically before turning and slipping into the darkness of the bedroom. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he looked across the room at Kakashi's bed. He waited for a few moments to see if Kakashi would follow him into the room, then got up and moved over to sit on Kakashi's bed instead. Staring at the closed door, Sasuke felt himself begin to shake, his headache spiking to the level of pain it always reached before subsiding. Usually he was already undressed and in bed before it reached this point. Closing his eyes, Sasuke laid back on Kakashi's bed, breathing in his scent as his body was wracked with pain. Time passed without Sasuke's awareness. When the pain subsided, leaving Sasuke weak and exhausted, he could only roll himself over onto his side as darkness swam up, and sleep claimed him.

* * *

**AN:** I sat down this evening to write the opening to this chapter. It was strong in my head and, again, I figured if I could get that little bit out, maybe I'd get clues for the rest. Then the chapter took on a life of it's own. I was going along with everything I had planned right up until Sasuke told Kakashi his secret. _That_ was new to me. I knew they'd been questioning him about Madara, but I didn't see to what degree. That was a shock to me. This is an interesting plot twist, I think.

On a side note, I had a very irate Kakashi voice in my head when I finished the chapter. So, I started the next chapter as my supper sat next to me getting cold. lol There should be another chapter ready tomorrow. Here's hoping the pace keeps up until the end!


	11. Chapter 11

Kakashi paced the living room, trying to find a way to look at what the council was doing to Sasuke that didn't make him angry. Each way he tried to look at it however just made him more angry. When he reached the point that he thought he would just walk out of the apartment and straight to the hokage's mansion to give the woman a piece of his mind for letting this continue for weeks, he resolutely turned himself toward the back of the apartment. Moving slowly in a black cloud of anger, Kakashi went to the bedroom. When he opened the door and stepped in, the light from the hall shone like a spotlight on Sasuke who was curled up in his bed asleep. Kakashi stopped just inside the door, staring across the room at Sasuke, all of the anger draining away from him, leaving him empty and cold. Moving slowly, Kakashi ghosted into the room and sat down on the edge of his bed, looking down at the sleeping boy. Reaching out slowly, Kakashi brushed Sasuke's hair back out of his face, noting absently that he needed a haircut. Looking at the black rings that seemed to have been carved permanently under his former student's eyes, Kakashi felt the anger beginning to build inside himself again.

Standing up, Kakashi moved over to Sasuke's small bed and pulled the blanket off. Moving silently back to his bed, Kakashi tried to crush his anger before it got out of control. Gently laying the blanket over the sleeping boy, he drew a deep breath and let it out in a soft sigh before he whispered, "You don't deserve to be tortured Sasuke, no matter what you may think."

Moving across the room, Kakashi pulled the curtains back to reveal the thicker light blocking curtains. Grabbing the edge of each thick panel, Kakashi jerked them closed over the window, then pulled the regular curtains closed over them. Giving Sasuke's sleeping figure one last glance, Kakashi turned and walked out of the room, pulling the door silently closed behind him. Moving down the hall quickly, he reached out a turned the light off as he passed. When he reached the living room, he didn't stop to think. Walking straight over to the door, Kakashi bent down and pulled his shoes on hastily. Standing, he grabbed his cloak off the hook next to Sasuke's with one hand as the other reached out and unlocked the door. He didn't bother disabling Sasuke's trap as he slipped outside, grunting in irritation as he was entangled in the chakra threads of the trap. He quickly and easily disentangled himself, then paused just long enough to reset the trap once the door was closed and locked behind him. Moving off into the steadily falling snow, Kakashi flipped his cloak up around his shoulders and pulling the hood over his head. When he got close to the hokage's mansion, he stopped and glared at it from a distance, then resolutely turned away from the building, heading for one of the nearby apartment complexes instead.

By the time Kakashi reached the apartment he wanted, he was shaking, though he wasn't sure if it was the cold or his anger. Without even thinking about the hour, Kakashi lifted his hand and knocked on the door. Three quick, hard raps of his knuckles, then he stood in the silent night, waiting. When he heard movement coming from the apartment, Kakashi felt himself relax slightly. When the door opened, revealing a half-asleep and confused man, Kakashi smiled, though he knew the gesture didn't reach his eyes, so there was really no point in the gesture.

"Senpai? What's wrong? Why are you here in the middle of the night?"

Kakashi looked at the confused ninja and felt some of his anger slip away. "It was either come here and talk to you, or go and do something that would get me in trouble. I'm sorry to wake you up in the middle of the night, Tenzou."

Tenzou frowned and shook his head as he stepped back, motioning Kakashi into the apartment. "That's ok, Senpai. I told you, anytime you need to spend the night you're free to."

Kakashi shook the snow from his cloak and kicked it from the tread in his shoes before stepping into the apartment. "No, I'm not staying tonight. I want to get back to the apartment before Sasuke wakes up. I just needed to do something, talk to someone before my anger got the best of me."

Tenzou nodded and moved into the kitchenette of his tiny apartment, putting on water for tea while Kakashi settled himself on the couch. When he returned a few minutes later, Kakashi looked at him wearily. "Did you have a fight with Sasuke again, Senpai?"

Kakashi laughed, the sound short and bitter, totally bereft of any form of humour. "Well, sort of. It wasn't much of a fight, but that's not why I'm angry. Of course, now that I've calmed down some, I know I can't tell you why I am angry. I promised Sasuke I'd not say anything to anyone. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You were thinking you were angry and you needed someone to talk to."

"Yes, but I can't talk about what's got me so angry. At least, not directly. I _can_ say that I'm worried about Sasuke."

"You've been worried about Sasuke since he returned to the village. You were worried about Sasuke from the moment he _left_ the village."

"Yes, but now I think they're going to kill him, or at least drive him mad, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. I don't like having my hands tied like this." Catching sight of the frown his friend was directing at him and anticipating the question, Kakashi shook his head and continued. "No, I can't say who, how or why. Like I said, I promised Sasuke I wouldn't say anything to anyone. I don't want to make things any more difficult for him than they already are."

Tenzou sat in silence peering at Kakashi for several long moments, then nodded and looked away. "I will respect your silence, but I have to tell you I think I know who you're angry with at least." Kakashi looked sharply at the other man, stiffening as he waited for him to continue. "I know that Sasuke has been coming to the hokage's mansion a lot since the two of you moved. I didn't press for details because it's not my concern until and unless I'm told it's my concern. I've also seen him leaving late at night after those visits a few times. He looked like death walking. I followed him back to your apartment once, to be sure he made it alright and because I was curious about what was going on. By the time he reached the apartment, he looked a lot better. It was as if he recovered as he moved, though with the weariness that was wrapped almost visibly around him, I don't know how."

Kakashi jumped up and started pacing in tight circles, unable to be still as his anger began to boil over again. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"You live with him, Senpai. I assumed you'd know what was going on. Besides, I don't make a habit of spying on people and reporting about their movements unless I'm ordered to."

Some of the tension drained out of Kakashi and he nodded, but didn't stop his pacing. "I know, I'm sorry. None of this is your fault, I know that."

"I'm a convenient target for your anger. Don't worry Senpai, I can handle it."

Kakashi smiled appreciatively at the other man, then nodded and forced himself to sit down. Before he could think of an appropriate way to apologize, Tenzou stood up and walked into the small kitchenette, leaving Kakashi to his thoughts. The longer he brooded on Tenzou's words, the more guilty he felt. Feeling like an ass for using his friend gave him a way to get a tighter grip on his anger, bringing it down to a more manageable level. When Tenzou returned a few minutes later with two steaming cups of tea, Kakashi was calmer than he'd been since Sasuke had arrived home looking on the verge of collapse. Taking the warm cup with a nod of appreciation, Kakashi wrapped both hands around it, letting the warmth soak into his hands, slowly warming his entire body as he hunched over the cup, scowling into the contents, searching desperately for the answers he needed.

After several minutes Kakashi lifted his head and looked at Tenzou. Finding his friend looking pointedly in the other direction, Kakashi grinned in spite of all the negative emotions that filled him. Taking advantage of the privacy being offered, Kakashi tugged his mask down and took a long drink of the tea, enjoying the warmth that radiated through his body. Pulling his mask back up into place and leaning back on the couch, Kakashi let his eyes close as he began to relax, the last of his tension draining away. When Tenzou moved nearby, Kakashi snapped out of his reverie and lifted his head to look at his friend.

"Calmer now, Senpai?"

"Yes, Tenzou. Thank you." Realizing abruptly that the cup which had been warm in his hands moments before was now cool, Kakashi frowned and glanced over at his friend who was smiling at him. "Did you lace the tea with something?"

Tenzou shook his head and laughed quietly before stepping over and pulling the cup of cooled tea from Kakashi's hand. "No, I didn't. It's just tea. Your mind used the tea as an excuse to let you relax. I knew you needed the rest because I can see how drained you are. I wouldn't have let you sleep much longer. You said you wanted to be home before Sasuke woke up."

Leaning back again, Kakashi sighed and nodded. "Thank you for that. You're a good friend. And I'm sorry I keep using you."

Returning from the kitchenette, Tenzou sat on the other end of the couch, half-turned to look at Kakashi. "It's ok, I don't mind, Kakashi."

Smiling behind his mask, Kakashi nodded. "You haven't used my name in a long time. Sometimes I wondered if you'd forgotten my name wasn't 'Senpai.'"

"I didn't forget. I just respect your position in this village."

"That's not the only reason is it?"

"No, it's not. But you have enough troubles right now without worrying about me as well. I can take care of myself, never doubt that. What are you going to do about Sasuke?"

Kakashi felt tension tightening the muscles in his shoulders again at the question. "I don't know," he finally admitted with some reluctance. "I want to stop him from going back, but I know I can't. I promised Sasuke when he came back that I'd help him, but I don't think there's anything I can do to help him with this."

"Did he ask you to help him with whatever it is that's going on?"

Kakashi frowned, then sighed and shook his head. "No. Actually, he told me pointedly that he _didn't_ want my help. But I think that was just my old rebellious Sasuke peeking out again because I literally had him up against the wall, trying to get answers out of him that he wasn't supposed to give me."

"Maybe you should ask him."

Kakashi blinked slowly, then chuckled quietly. "I must be too close to the problem to have not realized that was the answer all along."

"You're just worried. After seeing the way he looks when he leaves the hokage's mansion, I can understand why. Just remember one thing, Senpai: No matter what answer he gives you, be careful that your desire to protect your former student doesn't get you _both_ in trouble."

Kakashi sat in silence thinking about this bit of wisdom. He knew his friend was right, but in the back of his mind he wondered just how long he could sit back and watch Sasuke die by inches without doing anything to help. Sighing tiredly, Kakashi looked up at Tenzou again, feeling guilty for keeping his friend up all night. Pushing to his feet, Kakashi waited for Tenzou to stand, then walked over and held out a hand to the other man. He smiled behind his mask, this one reaching his eyes when Tenzou took the offered hand. Shaking hands briefly, both men took what they needed from that brief contact before Kakashi stepped back and headed for the door.

"I'll let you go back to bed and get a little more sleep before you have to get up. Sorry to come over so late. Thanks for helping me out, though. I think I really would have gone and done something stupid if I hadn't come here instead. If I get myself in trouble, I can't help Sasuke."

"It's ok, Senpai. I don't mind. I don't have to be up early, so I'm free to sleep late if I want. I'm glad to be able to help. After all, you'd do the same for me were the roles reversed."

Kakashi nodded and he threw his cloak over his shoulders and fastened it at his throat. "You're right, I would. Still, I'll try to keep my visits a bit earlier from now on. Thanks again, Tenzou. Good night."

"You're welcome. Good night, Senpai."

Kakashi stepped out into the night, pulling the cloak more tightly around himself, then heading off into the silent village. It had stopped snowing while he was with Tenzou, and the entire village was blanketed in the crisp whiteness of freshly fallen snow. Glancing up at the thinning clouds, Kakashi estimated the time at about an hour before dawn and hurried his pace. He didn't think he would run into anyone out this early, and he didn't think Sasuke would wake up this early, but he was eager to be home. It wasn't the cold the drove him to move faster through the village, his trot becoming a full run. It was a need to see Sasuke again, to confirm for himself that his former student was well, that he hadn't withered away in the hours that Kakashi had been gone.

Kakashi slipped back into the silent apartment and stood by the door, staring down the hall toward the bedroom. A moment of dread and reluctance to go back to the room flitted through him, but he pushed it aside. Slipping out of his shoes, then pulling off his cloak to hang on the hook, Kakashi moved silently through the apartment. He stopped in the kitchen to pull open one of the drawers, taking out a small box of matches and a candle. Closing the drawer, he pulled open another and removed a candle holder. Pushing the drawer closed again, Kakashi moved out of the kitchen, turning the light off with his elbow as he walked past the switch. He moved quickly and quietly through the apartment. When he reached the bedroom, he stood outside the door, breathing deeply for a moment. Opening the door, Kakashi stepped into the room and closed the door behind himself. Without glancing at his bed, Kakashi moved to the two small dressers that sat on the opposite side of the room from the beds and set the candle holder on top of one before shoving the slim white candle into it. Turning himself so that he stood between the bed and the candle, Kakashi pulled out a match and struck it, the flare of light momentarily blinding him. Setting the flame to the wick, Kakashi blinked proper vision back into his right eye, then shook the match out and dropped it into the small tray at the base of the holder. He set the matches down next to the candle, then stepped aside and finally turned back to look at his bed.

Sasuke had moved quite a bit in his sleep. When Kakashi had left, the boy had been curled up close to the edge of the bed, down around the center. Now, he was still curled up, but was on the opposite side, facing the wall and closer to the head of the bed. Walking slowly, Kakashi moved back over to the bed. He stood beside the bed, watching Sasuke by the flickering light of the candle. He listened to the deep, even breathing coming from the bundle of blankets that was Sasuke, and feeling tension drain away again, leaving him weary. Reaching out, Kakashi grabbed his pillow and moved it closer to the edge of the bed before sliding into the bed, sitting with his back against the wall, pillow bunched at his lower back. His gaze never strayed away from Sasuke's sleeping form, and when he was sure his climbing into the bed hadn't awakened the boy, he allowed himself to relax.

_I wonder if his nightmares are worse because of what they're doing to him. He hasn't woken me up, so if they are, he's reacting quietly to them_, Kakashi thought as he lifted a hand and pushed his fingers back through his hair.

Closing his eye for a moment, Kakashi just sat, listening to Sasuke's breathing. When the boy shifted in his sleep, Kakashi opened his eye again and turned his head t watch the boy roll over, closer to where Kakashi sat, the blanket sliding partially off of him. Automatically, Kakashi reached over and pulled the blanket back up over the sleeping boy. After a moment's hesitation, he let his hand rest on Sasuke's shoulder. "I'm going to find a way to put a stop to this, Sasuke," he whispered just before he slipped into a light, fitful sleep. He woke only once, when Sasuke moved closer, resting his head against Kakashi's hip. When he had assured himself that all was well, Kakashi leaned his head back and let sleep well up around him again, though he slipped reluctantly into that dark embrace.

* * *

**AN:** I started this chapter immediately after finishing the last chapter. However, I had just finished cooking dinner and it was sitting next to me getting cold, so I had to let it go until I ate. Then life distracted me and I couldn't get back to it. I sat down first thing yesterday meaning to finish it, but again life reared its ugly head and distracted me. (I had errands to run.) So, I left the chapter half finished and went to do what needed doing. When I came home I realized I wasn't in the right mood for the mood of the chapter. It's difficult for me to write angry when I'm in a VERY good mood. XD So, I let it go and played some FF4 instead. Long story short, someone ticked me off and suddenly I was in the right mood! So, I sat down and finished the chapter in an inspired rush last night before bed! (I find it ironic that even in the midst of my anger, I managed to end the chapter on such a sweet note. It still makes me "aww" when I think about it. It makes a lovely mental image.)

Hope to start the next chapter today, but as always, weekends are busy for me, so that remains to be seen. I'll get it written ASAP! As always, thanks for reading and thanks for your reviews, they mean the world to me. :D


	12. Chapter 12

Sasuke began to slip reluctantly out of the darkness, back to wakefulness. The dull, throbbing ache behind his eyes made him grasp desperately at the remnants of sleep, not wanting to wake up to the morning-after effects of one of his questioning sessions. Feeling warmth against the side of his face, Sasuke slipped a little closer to wakefulness, ignoring the pain. Feeling that line of warmth extended down the front of his body, Sasuke snuggled closer to it, snaking an arm out to drape over whatever it was he was pressed against that was so warm. The second his hand settled, he knew that it was a person he was snuggled against and snapped completely awake, ignoring the pain in his head as he jerked himself up to a sitting position, staring at a clearly amused Kakashi with wide eyes. When the pain reasserted itself, Sasuke groaned and closed his eyes, pressing his the heels of his hands against his eyes.

"Sasuke, are you ok?" Kakashi asked quietly from beside him.

Sasuke shook his head slightly, not trusting himself to speak without throwing up, and not wanting to jostle his head too much. When Kakashi moved, sliding out of the bed, Sasuke relaxed, then tensed again. He dropped his hands and looked up just in time to see Kakashi pull the bedroom door open and slip out into the hall. Laying back down, Sasuke curled himself into the fetal position, waiting for the pain and nausea to pass. As he floated in the dark misery that he didn't think he'd ever get used, Sasuke wondered why he was sleeping cuddled against Kakashi. He remembered sitting on Kakashi's bed the night before, but he remembered little after that. When he heard the bedroom door open, then quietly close again, Sasuke pushed his thoughts aside, concentrating on the sounds of Kakashi moving quietly through the room.

Sasuke felt the bed shift under Kakashi's weight just before the older man spoke again. "I've got some aspirin, Sasuke. Here, sit up and take it."

Sasuke didn't move as he considered the offer. After a few moments he decided he could speak without running the risk of throwing up all over his roommate. "I don't need it. It will pass after a while, it always does."

When the bed shifted again, Sasuke dared to turn his head just enough to look at Kakashi. Seeing the older man sitting next to him stiffly, right hand curled tightly around a cup, left curled into a fist, Sasuke frowned. He knew Kakashi was angry, but with the throbbing ache in his head, he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. Swallowing down the last remnants of nausea, Sasuke murmured, "I'm sorry, Kakashi. I didn't mean to sound unappreciative. I do appreciate the thought, I just don't need the aspirin. By the time it could start to work, the pain will have passed."

"I'm not angry with you, Sasuke," Kakashi murmured.

Sasuke sighed quietly in relief and curled himself into a ball of misery again as he waited out the pain. The only sounds in the room were Kakashi's quiet breathing and the soft ticks of the pills being placed on the bedside table, followed a moment later by the duller tick of the cup being set down as well. When Sasuke felt the pressure of Kakashi's hand rest against the back of his head, Sasuke stiffened, remembering abruptly how he'd awakened. "What's going on, Kakashi?"

"You tell me," came the faintly amused reply.

"Why were you sitting next to me when I woke up? And why was I sleeping pressed against you like that?"

"Well, you were asleep in my bed. I should be allowed to sit in my own bed, shouldn't I? As for why you were sleeping pressed against me: you'd have to ask yourself that. I didn't move you. You moved yourself. I slept some, but each time you moved I woke up."

Sasuke opened his eyes again, the pain beginning to fade at last. Lifting his head and trying not to react to the feeling of Kakashi's fingers trailing from the back of his head across his cheek as he moved, Sasuke glanced around the room, trying to find the source of the dim light. Seeing a candle across the room, flickering close to guttering, Sasuke closed his eyes briefly. Opening his eyes again, Sasuke turned his head to look back at Kakashi who was still sitting on the bed beside him, looking silently back at him, his one open eye giving away nothing. Frowning, Sasuke pushed himself slowly back to a sitting position, ignoring the way the throbbing sharpened, a band wrapping around his eyes and slowly tightening as the pain slogged on. Lifting his hands, Sasuke covered his eyes once again, letting the pain pull back before he dropped his hands and looked at Kakashi again. He noted that the man's clothes were very rumpled and he had black rings beginning to form under his eyes. Understanding came slowly through the pain that fogged his mind and Sasuke closed his eyes again as he turned his head away.

"You stayed up all night watching me again, didn't you?"

"Mostly. As I said, I did manage to sleep some. I won't lie to you Sasuke, the way you looked when you came home last night was frightening. Once I got control of my initial anger, I was more worried about whether or not you were going to wake up this morning."

Sasuke looked back at Kakashi in shock, ignoring the fact that his mouth was hanging open slightly as he stared in disbelief at the older man. "You were really that worried about me?" he finally asked in a pained whisper.

Kakashi nodded and locked his eye on Sasuke's, holding his gaze, not letting him look away as he spoke. "Yes, Sasuke, I was. I am. I don't like what's going on, but I like the way you're accepting what they're doing to you even less."

"What am I supposed to do, Kakashi?"

"You're supposed to fight back. I told you, I don't want you to let go of that old Sasuke completely. Don't just walk obsequiously into that torture."

"If I don't do what they want, they might--"

"They won't," Kakashi interrupted firmly. "I won't let them punish you any further than they already have. You've repaid your debt to the village. Lady Hokage won't let them banish you entirely from the village either, so you don't have that to worry about."

"If I have information they need, I want them to have it. I want to help the village in any way I can. In spite of what they did."

Kakashi frowned, but to Sasuke's surprise, he didn't question him about his last comment. "This has been going on for weeks, right?" Sasuke nodded and Kakashi continued, "Then it seems to me if there was anything there to be found, they'd have found it."

"I don't know what to do," Sasuke sighed, feeling anger trying to bubble up inside of himself again.

"We'll figure that out. First, I think you should go get a shower, have some breakfast, then maybe get some more sleep. You still look half dead."

Sasuke nodded and started to slide from the bed. When Kakashi reached out and placed a hand on his arm, Sasuke looked back at him in surprise. "What is it, Kakashi?"

Kakashi smiled and lifted a hand, pointing one finger at him. "That. You've stopped calling me 'Sensei.' Why's that?"

Sasuke shrugged and smirked at the older man. "Because I'm not a kid anymore and you're not really my teacher anymore. Sorry if I wounded your self-importance," Sasuke finished as he slid off the bed. Kakashi's laughter followed him out of the bedroom.

The light in the front of the apartment was much brighter than Sasuke expected. It hadn't occurred to his pain fogged mind that it would be brighter in the front of the apartment because Kakashi had likely drawn the light blocking inner-curtains in the bedroom to allow him to sleep longer. By the time Sasuke reached the kitchen, the pain in his head had settled into a steady throb that told him he'd moved too soon, but was easily ignored. Staring uncertainly around the small kitchen, Sasuke decided he wasn't particularly hungry, but he knew that not eating wasn't an option as long as Kakashi was home to nag him. The thought of his former sensei nagging him made Sasuke hunch his shoulders and scowl irritably at nothing in particular. After a few moments he pulled open the refrigerator and grabbed an apple. Shoving the door closed, Sasuke moved out of the kitchen and into the living room as he bit into the apple. Dropping down on the couch and sliding down to slouch in a half-laying position, Sasuke turned his head to stare at the curtains that covered the window. The light that shone around the edge of the curtains seemed a little too bright and made the dull throbbing in his head slightly more pronounced, but Sasuke ignored it as he continued to eat the apple, not tasting it and not even completely aware of it.

Remembering how he'd awakened not long before, Sasuke smiled before he realized he was going to. Sitting up on the couch, a frown replaced the smile as Sasuke blinked across the room at the far wall. Shaking his head, ignoring the flare of pain this caused, he pushed away thoughts about how he'd awakened and turned his thoughts instead to what Kakashi had told him. He knew that Kakashi was right, that if there was anything to be found hidden away in his memories, they should have found it by now. He wanted to fight what was being done to him, but there was too much in him that was smothered under his own guilt for his actions that made him resist that urge to fight back. It was only when he was around Kakashi that the guilt was pushed back far enough to allow him to think clearly and grow angry about the turn his life had taken.

Scowling, Sasuke stood up and walked back into the kitchen, tossing the apple core into the trash as he muttered, "I'm not sure if I like him having that much effect on me. Maybe I should just tell him to butt out and let me take care of this myself." Sasuke left the kitchen and moved to the hall, heading for the bedroom before he sighed and continued, "Not that it would do me any good. Kakashi has never listened to me, and I don't expect he'll start now."

Stepping into the bedroom, Sasuke glanced over at Kakashi's bed, not surprised to find the silver-haired man stretched out on his bed asleep. Scowling, Sasuke moved into the room and over to Kakashi's bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and continued to scowl at Kakashi for several minutes, his thoughts whirling. Tearing his gaze away at last, Sasuke pushed to his feet and moved over to the dresser, pulling out clean clothes and blowing out the candle that was on the verge of putting itself out, then moved back across the room and pulled the door open. Sasuke glanced back over his shoulder, looking at Kakashi's sleeping form in the light that the opened bedroom door allowed into the room.

_Thank you for caring, Kakashi. I don't think I expected anyone to care when I came back. I don't think I could have made it through all of this if no one had,_ he thought just before pulling the door closed.

* * *

**AN:** I got an irritating error message earlier when I tried to save my comments, so you get the condensed version. XD I had trouble with this chapter because I'm sleep deprived thanks to the time change. And as such, I've decided to take a bit of time off from writing and let my mind rest. The next chapter probably won't be done until the end of the week or the weekend. (I say probably because I never know when my muse will decide I MUSTWRITENAO! XD) As always, thanks for reading and thanks for your comments, they mean a lot. :)


	13. Chapter 13

Once he knew the truth about what was going on with Sasuke, Kakashi wouldn't let the boy out of his sight for longer than a few minutes at a time. He told Sasuke once that he was going with him to his next meeting with the elders and the ensuing fight was raucous enough to bring Sasuke's ANBU keepers to the apartment, weapons drawn. The fight had continued unabated for several minutes until the ANBU finally decided to step in between the two, pulling Sasuke from the apartment. Kakashi was left behind with only one of the masked ninja. He recognized the man's voice the few times he could get him to speak, but he never made a comment about his recognition, keeping the the secrecy of the Black Ops as he'd been trained so many years before. When Sasuke finally returned, Kakashi had calmed enough to know that it wouldn't be wise to bring up the matter again, so he let it go. Sasuke didn't talk to him for almost a full day after that, and Kakashi was content to let his former student fume in silence.

It was Kakashi's constant presence that finally pulled Sasuke from his silence, demanding to know why Kakashi was following him around. "Isn't enough that I have an ANBU escort everywhere I go? Do you not trust them to keep an eye on me?" he'd finally snapped angrily.

"I don't care about them, Sasuke, I care about you," Kakashi had replied simply, leaving the boy in stunned silence as he moved into the kitchen to cook the evening meal.

When the message came, Kakashi knew what it was. ANBU weren't normally used as simple couriers. He watched Sasuke in silence, frowning behind his mask as the boy read the note and nodded to the ANBU who promptly disappeared. After a moment's internal debate, Kakashi cleared his throat, drawing Sasuke's attention. "When do they want you?"

Sasuke scowled and Kakashi could see the boy's desire to not answer, but he waited patiently until his shoulders slumped and he sighed. "Tonight."

"I'm going with you, you know."

Sasuke glared across the room at Kakashi and shook his head firmly. "No, you're not. We've already had this discussion."

"I wouldn't exactly call that a discussion," Kakashi replied with faint amusement.

"This isn't a joke, Kakashi!"

"You're right, it's not. That's why I'm going with you. I'm going to put a stop to this."

"You're just going to get me in more trouble. I appreciate your help, and I would accept it if I thought there was anything you could do that wouldn't get me into more trouble than I'm already in."

Kakashi smiled at Sasuke and stood up, moving across the room to stand in front of him. "What time are you leaving?"

Sasuke looked at him suspiciously, trying to guess what he was thinking, but Kakashi was careful to give nothing away. "In a couple of hours. Why?"

"Because I want to know how much time I have to get ready."

Kakashi turned away as Sasuke fought to get a grip on his anger long enough to be able to speak coherently. By the time the boy had managed to find his voice, Kakashi was halfway down the hall. He heard Sasuke hurrying after him, calling his name, but he ignored him. When he reached the bedroom door he opened it, stepped in and turned back to look at Sasuke who was glaring at him from the hall. As Sasuke drew breath for whatever tirade he was going to attempt to get what he wanted, Kakashi quietly, but firmly closed the door in his face. He stood there for a moment, waiting to see if the door would open or if Sasuke would just yell from the other side. When neither happened, Kakashi took a step back and waited. After several minutes he heard Sasuke curse sharply then retreat down the hall. Sighing and nodding his head, Kakashi turned away from the door and moved deeper into the dark bedroom. They'd lived in the apartment long enough for Kakashi to have grown used to the positioning of things in each new room. As such he was able to gather up his shuriken pouch and other necessities without the benefit of light. He strapped on each item carefully, his movements methodical, helping him keep his own temper in check. For Kakashi, the confrontation he was walking into tonight was a long time coming.

When he stepped back out into the front of the apartment, Sasuke was standing in the center of the living room, arms crossed over his chest and an old familiar scowl darkening his features. Kakashi sighed inwardly and walked over to the boy, trying to find the right words that would defuse the fight. "Do you honestly think fighting with me is going to get you what you want, Sasuke?"

"Maybe not," Sasuke sneered, "but I could always get one of the ANBU that follow me around to keep you here while I go. I'm sure they know you're not supposed to be tagging along behind me."

Kakashi shrugged, then nodded in acquiescence. When Sasuke started to turn away, Kakashi smiled behind his mask and spoke quietly, "Ah, but Sasuke, how are they to know that I'm intending to follow you when I leave the apartment? For all they know I could have a mission, and they'd never keep me from a mission. I'd certainly tell them that was the case if they did try to stop me from leaving."

Sasuke stiffened and after a few moments, turned back to glare at Kakashi. "Damn you," the boy hissed, then turned away stiffly, stalking from the room.

Kakashi waited for twenty minutes before he moved silently through the apartment to follow Sasuke. He found the boy standing in the dark bedroom, staring out the window at the moonlight shining on the nearby buildings. Kakashi stepped into the room and closed the door quietly behind himself then walked over to Sasuke. He waited for the boy to acknowledge him, and after several minutes when Sasuke continued to ignore him, Kakashi sighed inwardly and spoke. "Sasuke, I want to ask you something."

Sasuke remained silent, staring intently out the window, but Kakashi could tell by the slightest shift in his tense posture that the boy was listening to him, so he went on carefully. "Why did you come back here? Not to the village, I mean back _here_. Back to _me_."

Sasuke was silent for long enough that Kakashi was beginning to wonder if he was going to reply at all. When Sasuke shifted fractionally again, Kakashi knew he was going to answer. "Because I thought you could give me the answers I needed. I thought you knew everything. I foolishly set you up on a pedestal in my mind."

Kakashi ignored the scathing comment and continued on as if Sasuke hadn't said it. "And why did you choose to stay with me even after you found out I didn't have the answers you wanted?"

"Because you said you'd help me," Sasuke sighed. After an obvious hesitation he added reluctantly, "Because I wanted your help."

Kakashi nodded and finally reached out, grabbing Sasuke's shoulder, speaking again as he turned the boy around to face him. "Then why are you fighting so hard now to _keep me_ from helping you?"

Kakashi caught sight of something glinting on Sasuke's cheek and the fear, anger and desperation that raged through his eyes before the boy leaned his weight to the side slightly so that he was no longer in direct moonlight. "Because I don't need you getting me into any more trouble than I'm already in."

"That's a lie. What's the real reason?"

"I'm not lying," Sasuke growled, his body tensing again.

"Fine," Kakashi sighed. "You can run, but you can't hide. You can lie to yourself and to me, but you can't make me sit around and watch you live your lie. You do what you think you have to, and I'll do what I have to. I'll go and talk to the hokage first thing tomorrow and see about getting you moved out of here. Maybe they can find one of the ANBU that follow you around to take you in."

Kakashi turned away from Sasuke and moved across the dimly lit room. He saw the shift in light before he heard the sound of Sasuke hurrying after him. Just before he reached the door he felt Sasuke's hand settle on his shoulder as he called out plaintively, "Sensei!" Kakashi turned his head slightly to listen, and after a pause in which he could hear the boy draw a deep breath, Sasuke continued, "Kakashi. I'm sorry, please don't go. I just... You're the best thing that's happened to me since I returned to Konoha, and I don't want to lose you." There was another pause and Kakashi heard and felt Sasuke shifting behind him before he finished in a rush, "I don't want you to get in trouble with the elders and wind up put in prison or banished entirely from the village. I couldn't live with that guilt, and I don't think I could live without you right now."

Kakashi closed his eye as the room started to spin around him. Shaking his head, he drew a deep breath, then opened his eye again. Reaching out, he opened the door. When he felt Sasuke's hand drop away from his shoulder, Kakashi turned his head to look at the boy from the corner of his eye. "Don't worry about me Sasuke, I can take care of myself. I won't let myself get in that deep."

Sasuke sighed as Kakashi stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. He took two steps down the hall then stopped and leaned against the wall, head hanging. Closing his eye again, Kakashi thought about what Sasuke had just told him, frowning as he felt another wave of dizziness wash over him. Shaking his head to clear it, Kakashi stood up once more and looked back over his shoulder at the closed bedroom door. Conflicting emotions raged inside of him. He was proud that Sasuke was finally managing to think of someone other than himself, but he was also angry that Sasuke was trying to protect him. Confused by his reaction to the situation, Kakashi turned and walked back down the hall into the living room. He sat on the couch and turned his head to stare out the room's only window, watching the moonlight play off the glass as he waited for Sasuke to come out of the room, to begin what Kakashi would be sure was his last trip to the hokage's mansion in the middle of the night for "questioning."

When Sasuke finally came out of the room, Kakashi shook himself out of the musing silence he'd let himself sink into. As he started to push to his feet, Sasuke sat down on the couch next to him. Frowning, Kakashi froze and turned his head to look at the boy questioningly. "We need to talk," Sasuke stated simply.

Sighing tiredly, Kakashi sat back down on the couch and turned to look at Sasuke. "You mean you want to fight about this some more. It won't do you any good Sasuke, you're not going to change my mind, and I'm not going to change yours. We need to accept that and move on."

Sasuke shook his head firmly, a flash of anger lighting up his black eyes. "No, I want to _talk_. If you want to fight, you'll be doing it alone."

"Fine Sasuke, what do you want to say that hasn't already been said a hundred times?"

"You asked me why I came back here to you, and why I asked for your help." Sasuke paused and Kakashi nodded in agreement, then waited silently for the boy to continue. "What I told you was the truth. Now, I want to know why you let me stay. Why did you hide me in your apartment, keeping me hidden from the village even though you knew it would get you in trouble? Why did you say you'd help me?"

Kakashi sat in silence as Sasuke's questions rang in his ears. After a few moments he turned his head, unable to maintain eye-contact with the boy. Sighing, Kakashi leaned back and lifted a hand to rub his eyes, nudging is _hitae__-ate_ out of the way to do so. Seeing no way to lie to the boy without making things worse, Kakashi told the truth. "Because I felt guilty. I felt like I'd failed you when you left the village. I thought I had gotten past that guilt, but seeing you again and hearing your story... I knew I hadn't."

Sasuke was quiet long enough that Kakashi finally turned his head to look at him again, finding the boy staring across the room, scowling at the wall. "Why do you still keep me around then? Because you were ordered to?"

Groaning inwardly, Kakashi squeezed his eyes closed hard enough to see stars flash in the darkness. "I don't know why. My promise to protect you, to help you find your way is part of it."

"What's the other part, then?" Sasuke asked quietly, voice careful and empty.

"I don't know, Sasuke."

"Do you think I've changed at all from the kid I used to be before I left the village?"

Kakashi blinked his right eye open and turned his head to look at Sasuke again, confused by the change in subject. "Yes, I do. You've grown quite a bit, Sasuke."

"So, I'm not still the bratty kid that had to be protected and taught, right?"

Still confused, Kakashi frowned, then nodded. "For the most part, you're not. What are you getting at Sasuke?"

"Do you think I can take care of myself if the need should arise?" Sasuke asked quietly as he turned his burning gaze on Kakashi.

Kakashi could only sit and stare at Sasuke, seeing that old Uchiha pride flame to life in his eyes, smoldering and filling the boy with a life he hadn't seen since he'd returned to the village. Nodding slowly, Kakashi reluctantly answered, knowing he was walking into a trap and not being able to find it no matter how hard he searched. "Yes, I think you could."

"Then why won't you let me?"

Kakashi blinked, then frowned harder. "What?"

"You're fighting so hard to protect me from what's happening right now that you're not giving me any room to try to protect myself."

Kakashi pushed to his feet and moved to stand in front of Sasuke, staring down at him. "Now wait just a minute! You were the one that was accepting all of this. You said you wanted to do anything you could to help the council find anything they needed to protect the village!"

Sasuke smiled slowly and stood up, forcing Kakashi to take a step back. "Yes, but I have a very good sensei. I can be taught even though I have the hardest head in the world. Let me fix this myself, Kakashi. Let me be a man. Please."

Stunned, Kakashi took several steps back, staring at Sasuke. Of all the turns he could have expected this conversation to take, the path it had turned down was the last he would have ever thought of. Sasuke just stood watching him intently, content to be silent and let Kakashi make his decision. Kakashi again saw a flash of the man Sasuke was becoming and felt that old familiar sensei's pride well up in his chest, but he also felt another kind of pleasure building as well. Moving back another few steps in response to this unexpected feeling, Kakashi tore his gaze away from Sasuke, staring out the window. After a few minutes when he'd managed to gather his wits about him again, Kakashi looked back at Sasuke with a sigh. He knew he'd been beaten, and he'd never been the type to fight a battle that was already over.

"Just be careful, Sasuke."

Smiling, a stunning and achingly rare sight for Kakashi to behold, Sasuke nodded and turned away, walking to the door. "I will, Sensei."

"Can I ask you something, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked as Sasuke knelt to pull his shoes on.

"You just did."

Ignoring the jab, Kakashi moved around the couch to stand closer to Sasuke, leaning against the back of the couch. "Were you crying in the bedroom?"

Sasuke's hands stopped moving, and in that perfect stillness, Kakashi got his answer. Before the boy could muster a denial, Kakashi forged ahead. "Why were you crying?"

After several moments, Sasuke finished pulling his shoes on then stood pulled his cloak off the hook, swinging it over his shoulders as he turned back to face Kakashi once more. "Because the truth hurts."

Kakashi frowned, but Sasuke was gone before he could come up with a reply to his answer. Kakashi stood, staring at the apartment door for several minutes after Sasuke left, trying to come up with a meaning to Sasuke's final words. Feeling as weary as he normally would after a long, grueling S-Rank mission, Kakashi shook his head and stepped back around the couch and laid down, stretching himself out to wait in silence for Sasuke's return, formulating the questions he'd ask the boy as soon as he was home safe once more.

* * *

**AN:** There was a bit of a delay on this chapter (longer than the one I planned) because I'm fighting to not get a cold. It's a losing battle. Sigh. The chapter sat half-finished for a couple of days, and last night I sat down to finish it. I thought I had, but it was too short and something was nagging at the back of my mind. I saved and let it go, going to bed. I woke up this morning knowing that Sasuke had something he needed to say. The little brat! He outsmarted me _and_ Kakashi. Damn him! Kakashi was supposed to go with him! I had the next chapter planned! XD lol So now, I'm not sure what happens next. I can see the end of the next chapter (Sasuke coming back home) but that's it. Ah well, I have another piece I need to get written, so I'll think about that and let this story stew for a while and see what happens.

Thanks for your patience with me on this delay between chapters. And as always thanks for your kind words! :D


	14. Chapter 14

As he moved silently through the sleeping village, Sasuke rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve the tension that was drawing the muscles up so tightly his head had begun to ache. After several minutes, he stopped and concentrated on his breathing, calming himself, letting the tension bleed away. When he started moving again, the tension immediately began to tighten along his shoulders once more. Cursing, Sasuke stopped and spun around, staring back the way he had come. In that moment he realized it wasn't what was awaiting him that was making him tense, it was what he'd left behind. In the back of his mind, he'd been waiting since he stepped out of the apartment to hear Kakashi hurrying after him, calling him back.

Frowning, Sasuke looked around for the ANBU that were tailing him. When one of the masked ninjas stepped out of the shadows, Sasuke locked his gaze on the man. "You would know if we were being followed wouldn't you?"

"Yes," the masked man stated bluntly.

Reaching out with his chakra, Sasuke searched for Kakashi's chakra signature. Finding it far enough back that he was certain the older man was still at their apartment, Sasuke frowned. Feeling disappointment well up in his chest, Sasuke scowled and turned forward once more. Hearing a quiet movement behind himself, Sasuke glanced back over his shoulder in time to see the ANBU melt back into the shadows. He started to continue to the Hokage's mansion, but stopped again, looking back at the shadows that concealed the ANBU.

"Will you let me know if Kakashi starts following me?"

Without waiting for a reply, Sasuke turned back forward and started off in the direction of the mansion again. With each step he took, Sasuke found himself hoping for the sudden appearance of Kakashi's chakra behind him. As much as he resented the idea of Kakashi protecting him, and as much as he wanted to prove to Kakashi and himself that he wasn't completely useless, Sasuke knew that the confrontation awaiting him was going to be difficult and dangerous. Even though he wanted to go in alone, Sasuke knew that having back-up would certainly make the outcome of the late night encounter much more likely to be positive. Or, he felt that it would at least make it less likely that he'd wind up getting himself killed.

Stumbling to a stop, Sasuke frowned, trying to figure out what it was that had turned his thoughts so dark, and made him so reluctant to do what he had to do. Unable to come up with an answer, Sasuke forced himself to start walking again. As he moved through the silent village, Sasuke turned his thoughts to his past, and then to the truths he's learned too late. Anger began to bubble up inside of him, burning away the nervousness that had plagued him from the moment he'd stepped out of the apartment. That old familiar anger was a comfort to Sasuke, and he made the last of his trek wrapped in the dark cloud of his indignant anger. When he arrived at his destination, the ANBU that stood outside of the room tensed. Sasuke couldn't see their faces, but he could feel the intensity of their gazes as they watched him. Sasuke knew they could sense the difference in his attitude, and the potential for danger that cloaked him.

Stopping at the door, Sasuke looked from one masked face to the next, daring them to say or do anything to stop him. When none made a move to intercept him, Sasuke smirked and opened the door, stepping into the room. Glancing around, Sasuke took in the familiar scene. There were ANBU in each corner of the room. A simple wooden chair was set in the center of the room, and a masked ninja stood behind the chair, looking back at him. He knew even with the mask who the man was. He recognized his voice from the Chuunin Exams three years before. Sitting not far from the chair were the two elders of the village, watching Sasuke intently as if he were some interesting specimen under a microscope. Being looked at in that way made Sasuke's anger flare and he stalked stiffly across the room, standing a few feet from the uncomfortable chair that was waiting for him.

"You're late Uchiha! What took you so long?"

"I had trouble with Kakashi, Lady Koharu," Sasuke replied quietly.

"What kind of trouble?" the old woman asked, eyes narrowed to suspicious slits.

"Did you actually think he wouldn't notice me going out late at night and staying out most of the night? You know how I look after one of these visits, and since I live with him, there's no way for me to hide it from him. He's had a lot of questions."

"And what answers have you given him?" asked the other elder.

"Does is matter, Lord Homura?"

"You've told him even after we ordered you to not tell him anything."

It wasn't a question, and Sasuke saw no point in denying the accusation. "Yes, I told him."

"And is he here?"

"No, he stayed back at the apartment."

"You're certain of that?" asked Lady Koharu.

Sasuke felt himself smirking at the old woman, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "Well no, since I'm not there to witness whether or not he actually is, I can't say for sure he's still there. I do know that he didn't follow me, and I checked for his chakra signature more than once as I came here. He didn't leave the apartment. Of course, that doesn't mean he didn't leave the apartment after I left. Anyway, I thought I was staying with Kakashi so that he could keep an eye on me, not the other way around."

"Watch your mouth, boy!" snapped Lady Koharu.

"I'm just telling the truth."

"Just sit down and let's get started. We'll worry about what to do about your disobedience afterwords."

"No."

"What did you say?"

"I said 'no'," Sasuke replied softly, voice holding the slightest waver from his anger. "That's what I came here for. This is over. I'm not going to submit to torture any more. If there were anything hidden in my mind for you to know, you'd have found it by now. I'm through."

The elders sat, clearly stunned at Sasuke's defiance, their eyes gone wide. Lady Koharu recovered first and pushed to her feet, advancing on Sasuke, pointing a finger at him. "Now you listen to me, boy!"

"No," Sasuke growled, "I'm through listening to you. I've done everything you've asked me to do since I came back, wanting to make right everything I did wrong. I went so far as to let you _torture_ me, believing it was for the good of the village. I ignored how horrible it made me feel, and I lied to Kakashi repeatedly, picking fights with him to keep from having to tell him about all of this, and for what? For the chance to come back here again and again and let you continue to torture me for absolutely nothing? Madara didn't block any of my memories, everything he told me and showed me you know about.

"I don't claim to understand how things like this work, but even I am smart enough to realize that if there was anything to be found, you'd have found it by now. I don't know why he'd go to all the trouble to tell me the truth, only to then go and block part of it from my memory. It would defeat the purpose of telling me to begin with. He didn't know I was going to leave, so he didn't block of part of my memory to keep me from coming back here and telling you everything he told me. _I_ didn't even know I was leaving until it happened. There's nothing there! Nothing! I've given you everything I have, and now this is going to stop!"

Silence filled the room. Sasuke couldn't even hear anyone breathing. As the silence stretched on, Sasuke's anger began to fade. Turning, Sasuke walked across the room meaning to leave, but coming up short when one of the ANBU stepped out of the shadows and stood between himself and the door. Sasuke scowled up at the man, then turned around to glare at the elders. "What? You're going to put me in a cell somewhere since I won't let you torture me anymore? Fine, do it, but I won't change my mind. Your days of playing with my mind are over."

"Clearly it was a mistake letting you stay with your former sensei," Lord Homura finally said quietly, settling back in his chair and looking gravely at Sasuke. "I don't believe that the man is a bad influence on you, but I think letting you out of our sight was a mistake. The ANBU watched you when you left the apartment, but we had no way of knowing what you were doing while you were _in_ the apartment. So, now that you've proved yourself to still be the problem you were when you left the village, we'll correct that mistake and put you somewhere that you can't cause trouble and can be watched closely."

Sasuke opened his mouth to snap a reply, his anger beginning to boil inside of him again, but before he could utter a single syllable, chakra flowed around him, closing in and constricting him until he couldn't move, couldn't speak. Growing more angry at this treatment and unable to voice his opinion on the subject, Sasuke activated his Sharingan. Darkness closed around him before he had a chance to so much as glance in the direction of the elders and Sasuke cursed in his mind as he felt the blindfold tied tightly at the back of his head. Unwilling to give up the fight and beginning to grow nervous about what was going to be done to him, Sasuke tried to break the hold of the chakra with his own. He heard someone nearby grunt as the chakra binding him began to weaken. Just before he could break free of the hold there was a sharp pain at the back of his head and everything faded away.

Consciousness returned sluggishly and with great, throbbing pain. Sasuke groaned quietly and lifted a hand, pressing it against his forehead as he tried to remember what had happened to him. His last clear memory was fighting with Kakashi. Everything after the fight was a blur, only snippets of the time between then and the the time he woke coming through clearly. The fragments were so disjointed however that Sasuke couldn't make sense of them. After a few minutes, Sasuke carefully pushed himself to a sitting position, immediately leaning forward, letting his head hang between his knees as the aching in his head intensified and nausea rolled through him. Groaning, Sasuke recognized the pain as typical reaction to one of his 'questioning' sessions.

"But... I was going to put a stop to that," Sasuke croaked, wincing at the rough sound of his voice.

Sasuke sat quietly, clearing his mind until the pain and nausea passed. When he felt more like himself, Sasuke sat up slowly, wincing again at the stabbing pain he felt at the back of his head. Lifting his hand, he gingerly explored the area that hurt with his fingertips, finding a large lump there. Frowning, Sasuke grumbled, "What the hell happened? Did I--"

Eyes opened at last, Sasuke stopped talking abruptly as he found himself staring across a small room at a wall he didn't recognize. Jumping to his feet and ignoring the pain in the back of his head, Sasuke spun around to take in the dimly lit room he was sitting in. The walls were stone and it was smaller than the bedroom of Kakashi's old apartment, seeming just large enough of the cot he'd been sitting on. There was a pot sitting in the back corner of the tiny room and Sasuke grunted in disgust as he figured out what that pot was for. Turning the other direction he found himself staring at a stone door with bars set close together at the top. Moving across the room to the door in a few quick steps, Sasuke wasn't surprised to find there was no handle on the door. Lifting his hands, he wrapped them around the bars and pulled himself up onto his toes to peer out the door. He saw torches flickering in an even more dimly lit hallway. He saw no other doors, and no one standing in the dim light of the hall.

"Hey," Sasuke yelled. "Anyone out there? What's going on, where am I?"

When no answer came, Sasuke hissed in irritation and dropped back down to stand flat-footed in front of the door. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke reached out with his chakra, meaning to search for other chakra signatures, but the walls around him seemed to disperse his chakra, shattering it into bits too small to work with. Frowning, Sasuke concentrated, building his chakra, then pushed it out again, only to have the stone walls once more block his attempts to look for someone else. Sasuke stood in the small room, growling in irritation briefly, then closed his eyes, concentrating on his chakra one more time. Drawing a deep breath, Sasuke shoved half of his chakra out into a clone. He wasn't surprised when the clone vanished just as quickly as it appeared. Cursing in frustration, Sasuke moved back over to the tiny cot and sat down on the edge, pressing a hand to the painful lump at the back of his head.

"This isn't good," he muttered. "I've got to find a way to get out of here before those old murderers succeed in finishing off the Uchiha clan."

The pain in the back of his head continued to throb, making Sasuke's vision double, then blur. Closing his eyes, Sasuke slid back on the bed and laid over on his side, feeling the darkness of unconsciousness well up around him again. His last thought before the pain chased consciousness away was for Kakashi. "Shit! I hope they don't go after Kakashi. I'm sorry Kakash..."

* * *

**AN:** First off, I'm sorry I took so long on this chapter. After I finished that last chapter I started struggling. Then I had several deadlines sneak up on me all at the same time. Gotta love it when you forget important things. I got through those and came back to Absolution only to find that I was not only still struggling, the story had gone completely cold in my head. I'd lost interest. I've been fighting it ever since. I wrote a little here and there over the last 3 weeks, hoping I'd get going again eventually. I started writing longhand a couple of nights ago... that's my end, my last ditch effort yo break a block. I wrote some, but I was still very unclear what the problem was. Finally, last night I realized what the problem was. I had the next chapter started in my head, and I realized that in order for the next chapter to happen the way I had it planned, this chapter had to happen in a way that just wasn't plausible. So, I let go of the idea in my head and the story flowed. Between last night and this morning I managed to not only finish this chapter, but jotted about 2 pages of notes for the next _3_ chapters! So, I expect my updates will be semi-regular from now on. (I say semi because I have another piece that I'm working on. A late birthday present for a friend. It only has 2 chapters to go, but I do need to work on that one too.)

Thank you so much for your patience, and I hope this chapter was worth the wait! I guarantee the next 2 chapters are going to be rather exciting. ;) This will help make up for the long delay I hope!


	15. Chapter 15

Kakashi woke with the full brunt of morning sunlight burning in his eyes. Groaning, he slid a hand to the book on his chest and pulled it up over his face, blocking out the light. As he lay there, debating between the desire to just go back to sleep and the need to be responsible and get up, Kakashi slowly woke. When it became apparent that no matter how long he lay there, he wasn't going back to sleep, Kakashi sat up, catching the book when it slipped away from his face. Sighing, Kakashi rubbed his eyes and pushed to his feet, then moved slowly into the kitchen in search of coffee and breakfast. Just before he crossed the threshold between the living room and the kitchen, he remembered that Sasuke had gone to one of his late night sessions. He'd expected Sasuke to wake him when he came home, if his presence hadn't automatically awakened him. Frowning, and suddenly wide awake, Kakashi turned back into the living room, heading for the hall that led back to their bedroom. Though he noticed from the corner of his eye as he moved through the room that Sasuke's shoes weren't by the door and his cloak wasn't hanging on the hook next to his, Kakashi moved quickly down the hall. Reaching the bedroom door, Kakashi took a deep breath before turning the knob and slowly pushing the door open. He didn't need light to see that Sasuke's bed was empty and hadn't been slept in the night before. Still, Kakashi reached in and flipped the light switch before stepping into the room and moving over to look down at Sasuke's bed. Frowning, Kakashi glanced back over his shoulder at his own bed, then spun, hurrying from the room. Stopping in front of the bathroom door, Kakashi ignored the fact that no sounds of running water came from the other side of the door, and no line of light shone under the bottom. Frowning, Kakashi lifted a hand and knocked firmly.

"Sasuke? Are you in there?"

No answer came and Kakashi felt his blood run cold. Unable to stop himself, he reached out and twisted the doorknob hard enough to make his hand ache, and pushed the door open to reveal the empty room. Cursing, Kakashi spun and ran down the hall, through the apartment and out the front door, not even thinking about shoes or his cloak. A few of his neighbors glanced his way, but said nothing before continuing on their way. Kakashi stood in the snow and scanned the surrounding area for the ANBU agents that had become a fixture in his life since Sasuke had come home. Seeing no masked ninjas anywhere near the building was the last straw, the confirmation that crushed the last of his hope and sent a stab of fear knifing through his chest.

"Oh no, I've failed him again," Kakashi whispered as he ran back into the apartment.

Standing just inside the apartment, Kakashi's mind whirled with thoughts and ideas. He knew where Sasuke had gone, but he also knew there was very little chance he was still there. "And even if he is still there, there's no way I'd know _exactly_ where. The Hokage's Mansion is a very large building.

"Shit! I knew I shouldn't have let him go there alone. I knew it was a mistake to let him take this on by himself."

Clenching his jaws hard enough to make the tendons creak, Kakashi squeezed both eyes closed and forced himself to draw several slow, deep breaths. When he had calmed the rapidly twisting thoughts in his mind, he opened his eyes again and carefully reached out with his chakra, searching as far as he could for Sasuke's chakra signature. After several minutes of fruitless searching, Kakashi stopped and cursed, then turned back to the door, pausing this time to pull his shoes on and grab his cloak from its hook by the door before running back out into the cold. Moving rapidly, just shy of running, Kakashi headed in the direction of the mansion, pulling his cloak around his shoulders as he moved. When he was close enough, Kakashi sent his chakra out again, searching for Sasuke's chakra signature. He wasn't surprised to not find any trace of the boy's chakra anywhere in or around the building.

Moving closer to the mansion, Kakashi sent his chakra out again, searching once more for Sasuke. When he still felt nothing, he moved closer, searching again. Kakashi continued, moving to the edge of his previous search area, not noticing when he passed the mansion. Setting a rhythm to his search, Kakashi just kept moving, searching for Sasuke's signature. Time passed as Kakashi worked his way through the village until exhaustion finally pushed him to the edge of his endurance. Stopping, Kakashi looked around, not recognizing the area of the village he was in at first. Squatting down and closing his one open eye, Kakashi breathed slowly, trying to clear his mind of the urge to keep looking for Sasuke. Opening his eye again, Kakashi looked around, recognizing the part of the village was in, realizing that he'd spent the entire day searching nearly a quarter of the village for any trace of Sasuke's chakra, but finding nothing. Kakashi didn't know when darkness had fallen, but his exhaustion told him that complete darkness was going to fall over him soon if he didn't stop.

Kakashi toyed briefly with the idea of going back to the mansion to demand some answers, but quickly discarded the idea, knowing it wouldn't work. Setting off through the village in the direction of his apartment, Kakashi caught himself stopping to check for Sasuke's chakra several times. The last time he caught himself, Kakashi glanced around the area he had stopped in. Frowning as an idea began to form, Kakashi turned and back-tracked until he found himself at a familiar apartment door. Without thinking, Kakashi lifted a hand and rapped his knuckles as hard as he could on the front door. Angry, worried and impatient, he had just lifted his hand to knock again when the door was pulled open, revealing a blinking ninja.

"Kakashi-senpai?"

"Do you know where he is?"

"What's going on, Senpai? Who's missing?"

"_Sasuke_, Tenzou. Do you know where Sasuke is?"

"He isn't home? What's going on, Senpai?" The worry in his face telling Kakashi more clearly than his words that he honestly didn't know anything about Sasuke or his whereabouts. "You look exhausted," Tenzou added quietly as he reached out and grabbed Kakashi's arm, pulling him into the apartment.

Kakashi let himself be led into the dark apartment and pushed down onto the couch. Leaning his head back on the couch, Kakashi wondered for a moment if he'd fall asleep, but as his thoughts kept turning to Sasuke, wondering where he could be and driving him to continue his search, he knew he'd never sleep. His whole body was buzzing with his need to move, to find Sasuke, but he forced himself to remain still, relaxing. When a soft light shone through his eyelids, Kakashi opened his right eye and turned his head to look at his friend without lifting it from the couch. Tenzou moved over to stand looking down a Kakashi, frowning, worry filling his eyes. Smiling behind his mask, Kakashi lifted his head and motioned for the other ninja to sit next to him.

When Tenzou sat, Kakashi dropped his head to the back of the couch, closing his eye again and taking a deep breath before he spoke. "Sasuke is missing. We fought as I'm sure you know. It got pretty ugly the first time because Sasuke didn't want me getting involved in what's going on with his trips to the Hokage's Mansion in the middle of the night. I left it alone until he got a message yesterday that it was time for him to come again. We fought again, and I was determined to not give in. I was going with him and I was putting a stop to what they were doing to him. Just before he left though, he convinced me to let him go alone, try to to stand up on his own and put a stop to it. I couldn't deny him that right; at least not without irreparably damaging our relationship. Besides, I was sure he could handle it. He's an Uchiha with all the attitude that entails. So, I let him go last night. I let him go... and he never came back."

"When did you realize he was missing?"

"I woke up early this morning. It wasn't long after sunrise. I'd fallen asleep on the couch the night before while I waited for Sasuke to come home. When I went into the kitchen for coffee and breakfast I realized it was strange that Sasuke didn't wake me up when he came home, whether it was on purpose or accidentally. I went and checked the bedroom and he wasn't there and his bed hadn't been slept in. I checked the bathroom and he wasn't there. I went back out to the living room and noticed his shoes and cloak were still gone. I left after that and went looking for him. I expected he was still at the Hokage's Mansion, so I went far enough to check for his chakra signature. It wasn't there. After that I just kept looking. I would probably still be looking, but I'm so exhausted it's hard to build up the chakra I need to look for him."

"You haven't slept since last night, but when was the last time you ate something?"

Chuckling, Kakashi shook his head slowly, smiling ruefully behind his mask. "Last night."

"Senpai," Tenzou chided softly, "you know better than that."

"I wasn't thinking Tenzou, I was just trying to find Sasuke. Where could he be? I honestly don't think they'd kill him, but beyond that, I don't know. I don't know how far they would be willing to go to get what they want out of Sasuke." After a brief pause, Kakashi lifted his head and glanced at Tenzou, wincing. "I told him to hold on to that Uchiha attitude. Maybe he mouthed off to them and got himself into more trouble. That would be my fault. I failed him again," Kakashi sighed, his head dropping to the back of the couch once more.

"Sasuke is grown, Senpai. You're no longer responsible for his actions. He has to be able to take care of himself. I know you, so I know you taught him well enough before he left the village, and since he came back for him to be able to be the man he needs to. He can take care of himself, don't doubt that. As you said, he _is_ an Uchiha after all."

"I know that, but that doesn't ease my guilt when I don't know where he is or what's being done to him."

"So why not just ask?"

Kakashi blinked and lifted his head again, looking at Tenzou in surprise. "Do you honestly think the elders are going to tell me _anything_? And if they did take him somewhere because he told them he wasn't going to submit to what they were doing to him anymore, it seems even less likely that they would tell me anything."

Tenzou shrugged, then pushed to his feet. "It would hurt nothing to ask. But, if you want my opinion Senpai, I think you should go to Lady Hokage first. She's more likely to give you answers about Sasuke's whereabouts. For now though, let me go get you something to eat, then you need to get some sleep. You can go for your answers first thing in the morning."

Kakashi climbed to his feet and followed his friend into the tiny kitchen, feeling a bit of relief, having shared his burden with someone else. "Food I can manage, but I don't think I'll sleep again until I know where Sasuke is and that he's ok."

"Do I really need to tell you that you're no use to Sasuke is you're exhausted, Senpai?"

Kakashi dropped down into the chair at the small table in the corner of the kitchenette, watching Tenzou for a few moments before propping his elbows on the table and burying his face in his hands. When he replied, his voice was muffled by his hands. "I know that, but right now I'm so angry I couldn't sleep."

Tenzou continued to move about the kitchen, not speaking. Kakashi listened to him move, stewing in his anger, trying to force answers he didn't have from an already exhausted mind. When a plate was placed in front of him with a quiet thunk, Kakashi lifted his head and looked down at the food. Before he could decide how he felt about eating, Tenzou had stepped out of the kitchen. Kakashi turned his head, looking after his friend.

"Tenzou." He paused when the other man turned back slightly, looking at Kakashi expectantly. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, Senpai. You know I am always here for you. Now eat something and try to sleep. I'm sure you'll find your answers tomorrow. I'd like to help, but I have a mission. When I come back, you can tell me all about what happened."

Kakashi watched him as he turned and walked away. He sat quietly for several minutes after that, waiting for something he didn't know. As the quiet of the single ninja apartment settled around him, Kakashi absently tugged his mask down, and began to eat the food placed in front of him as he resumed chasing circling thoughts in his head, determined to find the answers that remained hidden from him.

When the food in front of him was gone, Kakashi pulled his mask back into place, put the small plate in the sink, then walked back into the living room and stretched out on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. After several minutes his eye drifted closed and he sighed deeply. "I _will_ find you, Sasuke."

* * *

**AN:** I went to town a few days ago to buy some saline solution for rinsing my contacts. (Yeah, I'm a wimp and the cleaning solution hurts my eyes. XD) Being me, I was unable to resist the music department and went CD browsing. Ended up buying myself a Journey CD. (For you poor young folks, they were a very big deal back in the early 80s. XD) It was that CD that finally broke the block on this story. When the block broke the rest of the story flooded into my mind. For the first time since I started writing Absolution, I knew beyond the chapter I was writing what was going to happen. Yesterday, I had to make a quick trip to the grocery store for milk, and my new Journey CD was playing and it worked my muse into a frenzy that had me speeding home. Shame, shame. But, because of that frenzy, I wrote 2 1/2 chapters yesterday. It took quite a bit of effort today after running another errand to come home and edit this chapter rather than finish chapter 17 and start 18 which is REALLY wanting to be written right now. I have a feeling that this story is going to be finished in a rush this weekend.

Sorry this chapter is kinda short. It was originally going to go further than the point it did, but I realized it would have been insanely long and the next chapter would have felt out of place, so I cut it and the rest will be in chapter 17. Also, sorry, you only get 1 chapter today though. ;)


	16. Chapter 16

Sasuke always woke with reluctance. Nothing good ever came of being awake anymore. It was either hours of sitting in the complete silence with nothing to do in the tiny cell he was locked in, anger eating at him, or fighting against the rape of his mind. He had learned quickly the first time they came to him in his cell that with a little determination he could almost keep them completely out of his mind. The fact that the "hang-over" that followed these more violent assaults was near to unbearable, leaving him delirious for unknown amounts of time, and usually ending in a nosebleed, did little to discourage him from fighting. In between the visits, the knowledge that he was going to have to endure those times of pain only strengthened Sasuke's resolve to not give in to the forced probing, though he had to silently admit that each assault left him a little weaker to the next. Sasuke knew that eventually he wasn't going to be able to hold them back.

The lighting in his cell never changed, making it difficult to judge the passage of time. Food and water came erratically, and was never quite enough. Sasuke had asked once when they came why he was getting so little food, but his question was ignored. He figured then that it was another attempt to break his will. They would leave him weak with hunger so that he could no longer fight. This added to Sasuke's anger, building his resolve to fight, and even in his agony when they would leave him in his misery, Sasuke smirked, knowing that they were helping him rather than hurting him.

The thought that he would get out and kill each and every person that now confined and tortured him never crossed Sasuke's mind. When he was awake, if his thoughts turned to anything besides building his resolve to fight them off when they next came to him, it was usually thoughts of getting out of the cell and leaving Konoha. The first time the thought had crossed Sasuke's mind, he'd thought of Kakashi and felt a pang of guilt. His thoughts had then turned inevitably to Naruto and Sakura and the guilt had begun to gnaw at his guts until he dismissed the idea of ever leaving Konoha. As his anger grew and the pain and solitude slowly dissolved his will, his thoughts had begun to turn back to thoughts of escaping the cell and Konoha.

Hearing a distant grinding noise that always heralded the arrival of someone, Sasuke lay tense on his cot. He never knew until the door opened if it was food that was being brought to him, or another round of torture. Pushing himself slowly to a sitting position, Sasuke scooted to the back to the bed, bracing himself on his haunches, ready to leap at whoever came through the door the moment it opened. When the lock clacked loudly as it was disengaged, Sasuke tensed again, already beginning to move as the door swung slowly outwards. When the masked ninja stepped into the room, Sasuke ignored the tray of food as he launched himself at the man, seeing his chance for escape. The tray the ninja had been carrying clattered to the floor as Sasuke began to grapple with the masked man. Grabbing at the mask, Sasuke ripped it away from the man's face, but before he could get a look at the face underneath, pain spiked at the back of his head and the world slowly sank into a dark tunnel.

The pain the greeted Sasuke when he woke wasn't the pain he was used to feeling. It was mild and centered at the back of his head. Swimming a little closer to full consciousness, Sasuke frowned, realizing that his left arm was also hurting. Concentrating on the pain in his arm helped everything come more sharply into focus. He was laying on his arm on the cold stone floor. Frowning, Sasuke opened his eyes and found himself peering under the small cot in his cell. Slowly, he pushed himself to a sitting position, leaning back against the bed for support. After taking a moment to let the dizziness his movement triggered pass, Sasuke took stock of his wounds, remembering what had happened. There was a new lump on the back of his head where he'd been knocked unconscious yet again. There was also a large abrasion down it left arm, likely from his fall to the floor. Glancing around the cell, Sasuke spotted the food and cup of water that had been left behind when the masked ninja had retreated. Leaning over, Sasuke grabbed the water and sat back. Pouring some of the water into his right hand, Sasuke tried not to think about how long it was likely to be before he was brought another meal after his failed escape attempt. Setting the cup aside, Sasuke drizzled the water over the scrape down his arm, carefully but thoroughly cleaning the wound.

Sighing, Sasuke leaned his head back on the cot and stared unseeing up at the stone ceiling above him. Eventually he reached out and pulled the small tray of food closer, nibbling at the items without really tasting any of them. He was ravenous, but his failed escape attempt left him uninterested in food. Anger burned low in his gut and pulled a scowl onto his face that was almost painful. Unable to remain still, Sasuke pushed to his feet, shoving the half-eaten food out of the way under the bed and began to pace the small cell in short, sharp movements. The more he moved, the more his anger seemed to feed on itself, growing inside of him. Eventually it pulled back until he was finally able to think clearly once more. Moving over to the door, Sasuke pushed up onto his toes, grabbing the bars and peering out into the dimly lit hall beyond.

"I know someone's out there," Sasuke shouted. "You don't have to talk to me. You're not the one I want to talk to. What I want is for you to deliver a message for me. You tell them that what happened today is only going to escalate if they don't let me out of this cell. They only thought I was uncooperative before! I want to talk to them, and the sooner they come, the less likely it is things will reach a point beyond their control!"

Sasuke waited a few heartbeats, then dropped back to his feet and moved back over to sit on the edge of the bed. He sat in silence, ears strained to hear any sound, any little hint that whoever was set to guard him had left to deliver his message. Slowly, his need for food and water began to interfere with his concentration and Sasuke slid out of the bed, kneeling next to it to pull the tray out from under the bed. Lifting the tray and setting it on the edge of the bed, Sasuke began to eat again, his gaze locked fixedly on the door. When the food was gone, Sasuke drank the water in three large gulps. Standing, he picked the tray up and tossed it in front of the door, then sat back down on the bed. He slid back until he was sitting at the head of the small bed, leaning against the wall, eyes once more locked on the door, legs drawn up, arms draped over his knees.

When he heard the sound of the lock opening, Sasuke tensed, but didn't move. He'd already decided that he would give them one chance to come and talk to him before he resumed his escape attempts. The door opened slowly making Sasuke smirk as he realized they expected another assault. When it was clear none was coming, the door opened fully and two ANBU slipped into the cell, their masks seeming to glow in the dim light. Sasuke gave the men only a quick glance before locking his gaze on the open door, watching as the two elders walked into the cell, followed by two more ANBU. There wasn't enough room in the cell for all of the persons present, but Sasuke knew there was no chance that the elders would come in his cell without a number of ANBU to protect them after Sasuke's attack on the ANBU earlier. He was sure there were more out in the hall that he couldn't see and it made a dark humour build up inside of him, threatening to bubble out in cold laughter.

"The ANBU aren't quite what they should be these days," Sasuke observed sarcastically. "I never should have been able to get the drop on that man."

Ignoring the comment, Lady Koharu took a half-step closer to Sasuke. "What do you want?"

"You mean besides the obvious?" Sasuke asked with a smirk. When his only reply was a glare, Sasuke smiled coldly and nodded. "Why am I being held here?"

"Because you proved yourself to be untrustworthy and dangerous to the village."

"What did I do that was dangerous to the village?"

"You have become unwilling to cooperate in our attempt to attain information that will help protect the village from the Akatsuki."

Leaning forward slightly, Sasuke growled through clenched teeth, "That's because you're looking for something that isn't there! I've given you everything I had and allowed you to dig for something that clearly isn't there!"

"We will be the judges of that."

Leaning back once more and forcing himself to relax, Sasuke glared at the old woman. "When exactly are you going to deem that I'm right and there's nothing to be found that hasn't already been found?"

"If you would only cooperate with us," began Lord Homura.

"No," Sasuke shouted, his voice echoing oddly from the opened door and the hall beyond, "I _did_ cooperate! For weeks I kept secrets from Kakashi, lied to him and came to you in secret letting you torture me. I let you dig around in my brain no matter the agony it caused me, thinking there was something hidden their that the village needed to be safe. I was quiet and obedient, letting the torture drag on and on even though I felt myself slowly slipping away, my sanity breaking a little more with each visit to that torture. I'd just had enough. When it became clear to me that there was nothing to be found, I decided I'd put a stop to it. That doesn't make me uncooperative."

"Why the sudden change then? You had no problems with what was going on for the entire time, you were cooperating with the procedure, no matter how painful the after-effects. There was no hesitation the last time you'd come, but in the space of a few days, you decided you had enough. Why?" asked Lady Koharu testily.

Sasuke slowly turned his glare back to the old woman. "Because I finally realized that what you were doing was pointless torture because as I keep telling you, if there was anything there to be found, you'd have already found it. It shouldn't have taken you nearly so long to find anything that Madara had hidden in my mind."

"There had to be something that brought you to this decision," she pressed, eyes narrowed.

"A dose of common sense."

"It was Kakashi Hatake wasn't it? He planted the idea in your head."

"Kakashi isn't the one messing with my head. Kakashi is the only one in this village that seems to believe that I want to change, and as such, he's the one that's protecting me. Or, trying to at least."

"So it was Kakashi. I might have known," the elder snapped, eyes flashing with anger.

Realizing too late what he'd just done, Sasuke cursed and pushed himself to the edge of the bed as the elders stepped out of his cell. "No, it wasn't Kakashi, it was _me_! Arguing with him only helped me to face what I already knew! I want out of this cell! I've got nothing else for you, so let me out!"

His protests fell on deaf ears as the last ANBU stepped out of the cell and pushed the door closed behind him with a resounding thud that vibrated in Sasuke's bones. When the lock ground noisily closed, Sasuke jumped to his feet and ran to the door. He pushed up onto his toes, grabbing the bars in the top of the door and peered down the hall, watching the elders and their ANBU escort retreat. He didn't bother calling after them, knowing there was no point. When they finally moved around a corner out of his view, Sasuke cursed loudly and pushed himself back from the door, kicking the tray they had left behind. Pacing through the room, Sasuke tried to fan the flames of his rage, trying to hide behind his wounded pride even as guilt began to gnaw at his belly, worry for his former sensei filling him until he was ready to scream, wanting more desperately than ever to get himself free of the cell.

* * *

**AN:** You know, I really hate those two... Anyway, here's the new chapter! It almost didn't get edited in time to be posted today. I had to reign in my muse and my desire to write last night long enough to edit this chapter. It was difficult because the story is coming so fast now. As such, please excuse (and feel free to point out) any typoes and horrible grammatical gaffes I might have missed. Chapter 17 will be posted Monday. I'm sticking with the every other day schedule to guard against any problems arising that leave me unable to write for a long period of time... I'll have chapters already written to fall back on. That, and it's difficult for me to take the time to edit chapters when the moment I open the file I start writing on the next chapter. lol

As always, thanks for reading my story and thanks for your reviews. They never fail to brighten my day, and always feed my muse.


	17. Chapter 17

Kakashi glared down at the young girl. He didn't recognize her, but she clearly knew who he was, and it was making her nervous. Usually it was ANBU that greeted him at the Hokage's Mansion, telling him the the Lady Hokage was busy and wasn't seeing anyone that day. Part of him felt sorry for the girl who'd been sent in place of the ANBU to keep Kakashi at bay, but after a week of fruitless searching, and six days of being turned away from the Hokage's Mansion without being so much as allowed to make an appointment to see the hokage, Kakashi no longer cared enough about pleasantries to go easy on the young ninja. Drawing himself up to his full height, squaring his shoulders and glaring down his masked nose at the girl, Kakashi lifted his arms, crossing them over his chest, pleased to see how intimidated the girl looked.

"I'm getting very tired of this run-around. No one will let me in to see Lady Tsunade, and up until this point I've been denied the right to even make an appointment to see her. How about you be the one that changes that?"

"A-as I said, Master Hatake, I was told to inform you that the Lady Hokage is very busy right now with important matters and she hasn't got time for audiences, no matter how important the subject may seem."

Kakashi stood glaring down at the girl for several moments longer, then growled a curse between clenched teeth and turned away, moving stiffly away from the mansion, anger making his nerves thrum. He glanced back once to find the girl peeking nervously at him from the doorway. Shaking his head, Kakashi looked forward and moved quicker, wanting to be as far away from the mansion as he could get before his temper snapped. The further he got from the mansion, the more he calmed. As he calmed he began to feel guilty for treating the hapless genin so badly. He wanted to blame his worry for Sasuke, but in his heart he knew there could be no excuse for acting the way he had.

As Kakashi moved through the crowds, trying to figure out what his next step would be, a familiar head of pink hair walked past a little deeper in the crowd. Spinning around, Kakashi moved after the girl, weaving his way carefully through the people between them. "Sakura! Sakura, do you have a moment?"

Familiar green eyes turned in his direction, a smile lighting the girl's face. "Kakashi-sensei! How are you?"

"I've been better. Are you just returning from your mission?"

"Yes, we just got back about and hour ago. I was just on my way to see Lady Tsunade. Is something wrong, Sensei?"

"You said you're going to see Lady Tsunade right now?" When Sakura nodded confirmation, Kakashi drew a deep breath and let it out before he continued. "Would you deliver a message to her for me? I'd go tell her myself but I've got something I need to take care of, but it's rather important that she get this message as soon as possible."

Sakura frowned, but nodded. "Sure, Sensei. What do you want me to tell her?"

"Tell her, 'They've done something. The lost boy is lost again. It's been a week.' Don't worry, she'll know what you're talking about. After you've delivered the message, ask her if she can make some time to talk to me."

Sakura frowned and was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "I'll tell her, Sensei. What's going on though?"

"I haven't got time to talk about it now Sakura, I need to get going. Just be sure you get that message to the hokage for me, ok? Thank you Sakura."

Before Sakura had a chance to ask any more questions, Kakashi hurried away into the crowd, disappearing as quickly as he could. He wasn't sure why he hadn't told Sakura the truth, or why he'd avoided her questions, but something inside of him told him that he should do just that. After several minutes, Kakashi stopped walking, clearing Sakura from his thoughts. He glanced around at the people going about their daily lives, many of them happy, no darkness tainting their lives as darkness was now tainting Kakashi's life again. Pushing dark thoughts aside, Kakashi turned in the direction of his apartment. He hadn't been back there much since Sasuke had vanished, but he knew it was the first place the hokage would send a reply if Sakura managed to deliver his message.

When he walked up to his apartment door, Kakashi was surprised to find Tenzou standing there, leaning back against the door. Frowning, Kakashi walked up to the man, pulling the apartment key from his pocket. "Hello, Tenzou. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I came to find out how things were going, but the look in your eye tells me everything I need to know. Sasuke still isn't home, is he? What did the hokage tell you?"

Kakashi grunted and slipped the key into the lock, quickly disengaging it, and answering as he pushed the door to the apartment open. "No, he's not. She hasn't said anything because I've been kept from seeing her. They keep telling me that she's busy with something important and can't make time for audiences right now. But, until today it was the ANBU that were keeping me away. I can't even get into the mansion. I don't think she even knows that I'm trying to get in to see her."

Kakashi glanced back at his friend as he moved through the apartment, unable to remain still. Just being in the apartment alone drove Kakashi to distraction, wanting desperately to find Sasuke, but not having anything left that he knew to do, short of forcing his way in to see the hokage. The risks in that venture were too high, so he continued to bide his time, though the more time that passed, the harder if became to remain patient. Kakashi realized in that moment that Sakura was likely his last hope. If she didn't get the message to the hokage, Kakashi would only be able to sit and wait, hoping that Sasuke was allowed to come back from wherever he'd been hidden away.

"Senpai, you still look exhausted. You haven't spent the last week searching the village for Sasuke, have you?"

Kakashi grinned behind his mask, then shook his head as he settled on the chair that Sasuke preferred sitting in. "No, that only took me four days actually. If he's in this village, they've hidden his chakra well. I figured the second day that was likely to be the case, but I couldn't stop. There was always that chance, and any chance, no matter how small, is one that must be addressed."

Tenzou moved and sat on the edge of the couch, turned to face Kakashi. "What are you going to do now? Wait and see if he returns?"

Kakashi shook his head and pushed to his feet again, beginning to pace around the room. "No, I can't do that. It would drive me half mad. I think I can comprehend now just how Naruto felt when Sasuke left the village three years ago." He drew a deep breath and let it out on a sigh, turning to face Tenzou, stopping his pacing briefly. "I ran into Sakura on her way to see the hokage not long ago. I gave her a message to deliver to Lady Tsunade for me. If I can't get past the ANBU to see her, I'll sneak a message in with someone that can."

"What if Sakura can't get past the ANBU either? What if the hokage is truly busy, and they're not just trying to keep you from seeing her?"

Kakashi drew breath to answer, but a knock at the door stopped his reply before it could be formed. Glancing at Tenzou as he walked over to the door, Kakashi allowed himself a moment to hope it was Sasuke, returning at last. When he pulled the door open and found Sakura standing there, disappointment swelled in his chest. Pushing the reaction aside, Kakashi stepped back and motioned his former student into his apartment, noting her start of surprise when he gaze traveled over Tenzou, now standing beside the couch. Kakashi closed the door, then moved silently across the room and sat down in the chair once more, motioning Sakura into the apartment.

"Did you get my message to the hokage?" Kakashi asked the girl quietly as she settled herself on his couch.

"Yes, Sensei. She didn't seem very happy about it. She asked me to tell you that she will find him, and that you will be informed the moment she finds him. May I ask now what's going on?"

Kakashi glanced at Tenzou who only smiled politely at him, making it clear that the story was Kakashi's to tell or not. Sighing, Kakashi looked back at Sakura. "Sasuke has gone missing." Noting Sakura's sudden stiffness and the darkening of her eyes, Kakashi held up a hand and shook his head. "No, he didn't leave again. Lord Homura and Lady Koharu have him somewhere. They think he has information important to the village that he doesn't. Sasuke has been cooperating with them for weeks, but things had gone on long enough, and it was clear he didn't have the information they sought, so he left a week ago to see them, tell them that it was over, he was through cooperating. He hasn't been back since."

Sakura frowned as she listened to Kakashi's explanation, then shook her head, clearly bemused. "What information is it they think Sasuke has?"

Kakashi shook his head and smiled behind his mask. "It's not something I should talk about. Suffice it to say after he killed his brother, Sasuke spoke to someone that could be a great danger to the village."

Sakura accepted the explanation with a grim smile and nod. Pushing to her feet, Sakura smiled at Tenzou, then Kakashi and took a step back. "I'll go back to Lady Tsunade's office and see if she's found anything out. I'll let you know the moment she knows something, Sensei."

"Thank you Sakura. Could you let the hokage know one other thing for me? Tell her that I've been trying to get in to see her for the past week, but the ANBU haven't let me into the mansion. If she needs to ask me anything else, she'll need to keep that in mind. I don't think I could get in to see her."

Sakura frowned, but nodded. "I'll tell her, Sensei. Try not to worry, I'm sure Lady Tsunade will have this sorted out quickly."

Kakashi waited until the girl had left to sink back into the chair and sigh, "I hope you're right, but I'm afraid you're wrong."

Tenzou shifted on the couch, drawing Kakashi's attention. The look the other man was directing at him was almost enough to lighten Kakashi's mood as a smile spread across his face. "You're going to lecture me aren't you?"

"No, Senpai, I'm not. But I am going to make a suggestion." Pausing, Tenzou lifted a hand and pointed to the back of the apartment. "Go sleep. It's pretty obvious you haven't slept much in the past week. I'll wake you the moment any news comes."

Kakashi wanted to argue against the idea, but he knew there was nothing else he could do. He'd exhausted every option he had. Now he could only leave things in the capable hands of the hokage. Until word came that she had either located Sasuke, or at least gotten word that he was ok.

Sighing, Kakashi gave Tenzou one last look, then pushed to his feet and moved silently to the back of the apartment. He stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind himself, leaning back against the closed door, eyes squeezed shut. When he opened them again and lifted his head away from the door, his gaze settled on Sasuke's bed. Determination to bring Sasuke home, and guilt for being unable to keep him safe warred inside Kakashi, leaving him feeling defeated and exhausted. Pulling his gaze away from the bed, Kakashi pushed away from the door and moved across the room to his own bed and stretched out on top of it. Pillowing his hands under his head, Kakashi stared up at the ceiling, trying to calm his restlessness. Closing his eyes, Kakashi systematically relaxed his body inch by inch, finally finding calmness in his thoughts as the rest of his body relaxed.

Kakashi's eyes flew open at the soft rapping on the bedroom door. He turned his head just as the door opened and Tenzou's head poked in. "Senpai? Are you awake?"

"Yes. What is it? Is there news?" Kakashi pushed himself to a sitting position, barely noticing that darkness had fallen.

"Yes, Sakura has come with a message and ANBU. Do you--"

Kakashi didn't wait for his friend to finish what he was saying. He sprang out of the bed and hurried across the room. Jerking the door open, he trotted down the hall to the living room, finding Sakura standing nervously by the door waiting for him. "Sasuke? The hokage knows where he is?"

"Yes, Sensei. These ANBU are going to take us to where he is," Sakura murmured as she motioned to the masked ninjas behind her.

"Let's go," Kakashi said simply, pausing only long enough to pull his shoes on and grab his cloak from the hook by the door.

Kakashi followed the two ANBU through the cold evening, biting back the urge to hurry the men along. To distract himself, Kakashi glanced back over his shoulder, motioning Sakura up next to himself. "What did the hokage tell you, Sakura?"

"Well," the girl began slowly, "a lot of it I don't think I should repeat. But, she told me that Sasuke threatened the elders. They didn't trust him to not try to kill them, or cause some other trouble for the village, so they locked him away somewhere until they could be sure he wasn't a threat. Apparently, they got whatever they needed from him and were planning on giving him another chance. They were going to send him back to you in a couple of days, but when Lady Tsunade started demanding answers, they decided to put an end to his confinement a little sooner."

Gritting his teeth to keep from saying something that could get him in trouble should word get back to the two elders, Kakashi ducked his head and just moved forward in a cloud of angry silence. When he was certain he wouldn't speak without thinking, Kakashi glanced over at Sakura. "The hokage didn't know about any of this, did she?"

"No, Sensei," Sakura confirmed.

The look on Sakura's face made Kakashi turn his head quickly, looking where they were headed. The former Uchiha clan compound was before them, and was clearly their destination. Frowning, Kakashi glanced at Tenzou who could only shake his head. He didn't know either. Frowning, Kakashi turned back forward and moved up closer to the two ANBU that were escorting them, his presence seeming to encourage the men to move faster. They moved through the deserted compound quickly, and Kakashi saw none of it. His concentration was was on the anger that was building slowly in him, making his nerves thrum once more.

As they accessed a hidden area under one of the buildings, Kakashi took a moment to wonder how the elders knew about the area, then pushed the thought aside. He reached out with his chakra, searching for Sasuke, frowning when his chakra seemed to reach a barrier and just dissipate. Drawing a deep breath and holding it, Kakashi reached out again, only to have his chakra dissipate when it got only a short distance down the hall. He was about to reach out, try a third time when then ANBU came to a stop at a door that Kakashi wouldn't have noticed if they hadn't drawn his attention to it by stopping at it. Taking a half-step back, Kakashi waited for the two silent ninja to unlock and open the door, forgetting about the odd dissolution of his chakra.

When the door was opened, the ANBU stepped back and Kakashi moved into the doorway. He gasped in shock at the sight that greeted him. Sasuke lay on a small cot, eyes closed and looking paler and more fragile than Kakashi had ever seen him. Moving quickly into the tiny cell, Kakashi knelt beside the bed, noticing for the first time the trickle of blood that had come from Sasuke's nose, drying on his cheek. Cursing softly, Kakashi reached back into his equipment pouch and pulled out a small, soft square of cloth. Spotting a cup of water next to the bed, Kakashi dipped the cloth into the water and gently cleaned the blood from Sasuke's cheek.

Dropping the cloth to the floor, Kakashi shifted, glancing over his shoulder briefly when he heard someone else enter the cell behind him. Seeing that it was one of the two ANBU that had escorted him, Kakashi scowled and pushed to his feet, turning to face the man. "Get out of my sight."

"Kakashi, we were told to let you know---"

"I don't care what you were told," Kakashi shouted, his voice reverberating oddly in the tiny cell. "I'm telling you _now_ to get away from me, and _stay away from Sasuke_!"

The masked ninja bowed his head and stepped back out of the room. Tenzou moved into the doorway and stood looking at Kakashi in surprise, but saying nothing. Turning back to Sasuke, Kakashi knelt beside the bed and for the first time allowed himself to reach out and check for a pulse. Feeling the weak beat under his fingertips when he pressed them to the side of Sasuke's neck, Kakashi let go of the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Turning his gaze slowly back up to Sasuke's frighteningly pale face, Kakashi smiled blankly, seeing Sasuke's black eyes opened halfway and watching him intently.

"Kakashi," Sasuke whispered weakly. After a pause to draw a shaking breath, he continued. "What took you so long?"

Chuckling weakly with relief as guilt stabbed deep into his heart, Kakashi stood, moving to sit on the edge of the bed and holding one of Sasuke's cold hands in both of his. "I thought you said you could handle this on your own?"

A ghost of a smirk slid onto Sasuke's face, but he made no reply. After a moment, his eyes slid closed again. Kakashi watched as Sasuke's breathing slowed and evened out, tension bleeding out of his body with each breath. He didn't move, didn't speak, only sat, watching Sasuke sleep as his guilt continued to gnaw at him from the inside. After several minutes, Kakashi stood and bent over the bed, scooping Sasuke up into his arms, cradling him gently against his chest.

Leaning his head down, Kakashi whispered, "That is the last time I will fail you, Sasuke. I promise."

Turning back to the door, he found Sakura standing in the edge of the cell, looking grim and determined. She stepped over to Kakashi and made a quick, perfunctory examination of Sasuke, then lifted her eyes to Kakashi's. "He needs to go to the hospital. He's dehydrated and looks half starved. I don't know what was done to him, so I can't say for sure what else may be wrong."

"I'll take him," Kakashi promised, then stepped around Sakura and back out into the hall. He noticed that the two ANBU had left and a knot of tension loosened in his shoulders. He glanced at Tenzou as he walked past his friend, shaking his head at the questions he saw in the other man's eyes.

* * *

**AN:** I swear, in my head I keep hearing Kakashi doing his best Mighty Mouse impersonation. "Here I come to save the day!" lol I need help. (To explain, for those too lazy to Google. ;) lol Mighty Mouse was a short-lived cartoon back in the mid-80s. I was about 12 I think when it was on the air. I loved it.)

This chapter... Oh man am I proud of how this chapter turned out! The beginning I wasn't clear on, so I just typed. I was in the middle of my writing frenzy at the time, so I wasn't worried. The end however, the actual rescue, that happened just as I saw it in my head. I think I captured it just right. The only surprise for me was where they had Sasuke hidden. I knew he was in the village somewhere, I just didn't know where. My muse was being secretive about that bit of plot twist.

Now, I come with bad news. I realized last night that I reversed a couple of plot points in the following chapters. It was a major error that would completely ruin the storyline and change the ending. That had to be fixed. Sadly, I woke up yesterday with a very sore wrist. I spent the day with it in a brace. Today, I woke up with it still hurting, but I don't have the brace on, allowing me to type more easily. I edited this chapter and as I type this, the ache in my wrist is increasing to the point that I'll have to brace it again soon. This means, unless another couple of day's rest fixes the problem, it's likely to be a while before the next chapter is up. I'll work on fixing the mistakes a little here and there when I can, but typing with a wrist brace on is not only difficult, it's really uncomfortable. So, if I can manage the fix and/or my wrist stops hurting, the next chapter will be up Wednesday. If not, I can't say when it will be up. I'm sorry. Thanks for sticking with me though guys! We're in the end game now. There's not much left in this story.


	18. Chapter 18

Sasuke came awake with a start, thrown from a nightmare that left only a feeling of unease in its wake. His heart racing and his breathing labored, Sasuke lay with his eyes closed for a moment, trying to remember what he'd dreamed, but giving up the attempt quickly when his abused mind reminded him that it had been through a lot of harsh treatment in a very short span of time. The headache that swelled up was one that Sasuke remembered well, and the nausea that followed was also like an old acquaintance come to visit once more. Sasuke tried to roll to his side, wanting to curl up, holding his head until the pain and sickness passed as he always had, but found that he couldn't move. Panic shoved the pain away and Sasuke's eyes flew open. He stared up at an unfamiliar white ceiling and the panic began to build in him. In the back of his mind, he chided himself for panicking; it wasn't like him to panic. As it was with his inability to move, he also seemed unable to stem the flow of panic. It seemed as if his body had been disconnected from his mind.

Hearing a voice from somewhere to his left, Sasuke tried to turn his head to look in that direction, but couldn't move his head. Uttering a desperate whimper, the only sound he could muster, Sasuke rolled his eyes to the side as they seemed to be the only part of his body he still had some control over. He saw only a flash of white and heard a worried voice murmuring his name before the darkness began to close in around him. Just before the darkness could claim him completely, he felt a warm, calloused hand against his forehead, and once more, that voice spoke his name. Sasuke had just enough of himself left to recognize the voice as Kakashi's before he sank back into unconsciousness, Kakashi's voice following him down that dark tunnel, though Sasuke couldn't hear what he was saying.

When he swam back to consciousness the again, the light in the room was dim and he couldn't make out the white ceiling above him. Remembering his inability to move the last time he was awake, Sasuke felt a spurt of panic, but quickly quelled it. Drawing a single deep breath to steady himself, Sasuke shifted one hand, his heart leaping in his chest when the hand moved exactly as he'd wanted it too. Gradually, Sasuke tried other parts of his body, garnering the same reaction from each, relief flooding him. It was only then that Sasuke realized that pain and nausea that he was used to had left him with only the faintest ache in the top of his head, and an unpleasant taste at the back of his tongue. Turning his head, Sasuke glanced around the room, recognizing it as one of the rooms in Konoha's hospital, even in the dim light. Memories, vague though they were of Kakashi's rescue came to him then and Sasuke felt a spurt of annoyance and anger, but both emotions were short-lived. He knew that if Kakashi hadn't come for him when he did, he likely wouldn't have survived long enough to get out of that cell on his own.

A quiet movement to his left drew Sasuke's attention. Turning his head, Sasuke found himself looking into a pair of familiar green eyes. Blinking in surprise, Sasuke tried to sit up, only to have Sakura reach out a hand and gently press him back down onto the bed.

"Don't move, Sasuke. You need to rest."

"Sakura," Sasuke began, then stopped. His voice was rough and it was almost painful to speak. When Sakura picked up a glass from the table beside his bed, Sasuke gladly accepted the water and drank deeply. Laying back on the bed with a quiet sigh, Sasuke turned his head and looked at Sakura again. "Why are you here?"

"I'm a medical ninja now, you know. I was with Kakashi-sensei and Captain Yamato when they rescued you. Well, Kakashi-sensei rescued you. The rest of us were just there as back-up I suppose. He wouldn't let anyone near you except me, and even I was only allowed close long enough to be sure you weren't going to die in his arms."

Sasuke frowned as he listened to Sakura's story, his head swimming. Laying back and closing his eyes, Sasuke digested what he'd just learned for several minutes before turning and looking at Sakura again. "So, you're my doctor?" he asked with some amusement.

"Something like that," Sakura replied with a smile. "I'm not the main doctor on your case, but I've been in on your treatment from the start."

"Treatment? What did I need treatment for?"

Sakura shook her head firmly, green eyes flashing with a determination that was so familiar to him it was comforting to see. "We don't need to go into that now. You just rest and recover. There will be plenty of time for talk once you're better and released from the hospital."

"I'm surprised you're talking to me at all," Sasuke muttered, looking away from Sakura as guilt began to eat at him.

A quiet sigh drew Sasuke's attention back to Sakura. "I don't hate you, Sasuke. I can see it in your eyes that you think I do, or at least, you think I should. I could never hate you. A part of me will always love you, but I'm not that same little girl you left laying on the bench three years ago. I don't think even I realized that until you told me that you would never feel for me the way I felt for you. I was hurt, yes. I admit I was angry as well, but nothing you can do will ever make me hate you. We will always have a connection. You, me, Naruto, we're connected for life. I understand now that that connection is not dependent on the feelings I had for you as a girl, nor are they dependent on your feelings for me. Naruto proved that connection would always exist by never giving up on you."

"I'm sorry I hurt you Sakura. Then and now. I'm sorry I hurt Naruto. I'm sorry I hurt Kakashi. Thank you for understanding."

"I just needed some time to think about what you said and to give up those last remnants of the little girl I used to be."

Sasuke closed his eyes and felt himself drifting back toward the darkness. He pulled himself back to full wakefulness with some effort and turned his head to look at Sakura again. "Where's Kakashi?"

Sakura looked at him strangely for a moment, then some understanding filled her eyes and she leaned back in the chair, smiling at him. Sasuke frowned, wondering what the girl was thinking, but before he could ask, she answered his question. "He left a while ago. He's been here with you almost since the beginning. From the moment they would let him near you again. He's so angry about what happened he was having a hard time holding it in. I think he's more angry with himself for letting you get yourself into this kind of trouble. Anyway, Captain Yamato took him away earlier. I think he's either taken Kakashi-sensei to get drunk, or to do something destructive to vent his anger. I have a feeling he won't be gone much longer though. Was there something you wanted him for?"

Sasuke shook his head and turned it back to look up into the darkness once more. "No, I was just wondering. I figured he'd be here. Especially after what you said about him not letting anyone near me after you came and found me. How _did_ you find me anyway?"

"That's enough questions for now, Sasuke. You need sleep. If you won't sleep on your own, I'll drug you again and make you sleep."

Sasuke glanced over at Sakura, scowling, but the stern look on her face brooked no argument and he relented. Turning back to the ceiling, Sasuke closed his eyes again. Almost immediately the darkness swam up to claim him. He slept fitfully after his talk with Sakura however, and each small noise in the room would bring him half awake. When the door opened, Sasuke snapped fully awake and turned his head to find Kakashi standing across the room staring at him, a strained look lining the small area of his face that was visible about his right eye. Sasuke blinked the remnants of sleep away, then just looked at Kakashi. All of the questions he'd had earlier fled, leaving his mind blank. After a few moments relief flooded in, leaving him shaking. He closed his eyes, not opening them again until he heard the door to his room open and close. When he opened his eyes again, he found Kakashi had taken Sakura's place next to his bed.

Sasuke opened his mouth, then closed it, not sure what he was going to say. After a few moments he swallowed deeply then said quietly, "Thank you, Kakashi."

"You're welcome, Sasuke," Kakashi murmured in reply.

Sasuke opened his mouth, drawing breath to ask a question at last, but the door to his room opened again before he could form the words. Three masked ANBU stepped into the room and Sasuke stiffened, anger and a fear he'd never admit to out loud warred inside of him. Kakashi jumped to his feet and moved closer to the side of the bed, standing between Sasuke and the masked ninjas as they advanced to stand in the center of the room.

"Kakashi Hatake, you need to come with us."

Sasuke's blood ran cold and his heart seemed to stutter to a stop in his chest. He reached out a hand for Kakashi, but his fingers got tangled in his IV line and he had to draw it back, shaking his hand to dislodge it from the thin tubing. Reaching out again, Sasuke grasped at Kakashi's arm, drawing the older man's attention. Kakashi turned back to Sasuke and looked at him quietly for a moment, then his eye closed in a smile that eased Sasuke's fear slightly. When Kakashi's hand closed over his for a moment, Sasuke laid back in the bed and sighed deeply. He barely noticed when Kakashi pulled his hand away, settling it next to him on the bed once more. Opening his eyes, Sasuke found Kakashi walking silently across the room to the waiting ninjas.

"Kakashi," Sasuke began, but stopped when the man looked back at him over his shoulder and gave his head a small shake.

Biting back a growl of frustration, Sasuke laid back on the bed again and watched as the ANBU escorted Kakashi from the room. Sasuke waited only a few moments before pushing himself to a sitting position. He'd just started to slide out of the bed when the door opened again. Sasuke looked up at the man that walked in, frowning. Settling his weight on his feet, Sasuke stood fully, but when pain ripped through his head, the room began to go black and he felt himself falling to his knees. When the pain receded, Sasuke opened his eyes to find himself laying in the bed once more, staring up at the ceiling he couldn't see in the dark.

"You shouldn't try moving," a pleasantly soothing voice said from beside him.

Sasuke turned his head and looked up at the man, frowning. The voice was familiar, but he couldn't quite remember where he'd heard it before. "Who are you?"

Before the man had a chance to answer the door to his room flew open and Sakura rushed back in. She looked at Sasuke, then at the man standing next to him. "Captain Yamato, I just saw ANBU taking Kakashi-sensei away. What's going on?"

Sasuke frowned and turned his attention back to the man beside his bed as he turned to look at Sakura. He knew now where he recognized that voice from. "You're the ANBU Kakashi went to that night when..." Sasuke let the comment trail off, pushing the memory away before continuing. "The one that escorted us in to see the elders when they made their decision what they wanted to do with me. You're Kakashi's friend, right?"

Tenzou looked back over his shoulder at Sasuke, staring at him intensely for a moment, making Sasuke mildly uncomfortable. When the man nodded, Sasuke felt something in his chest loosen. He closed his eyes for a few moments, his thoughts spinning. One thought kept echoing loudly through the turmoil however. Sasuke opened his eyes and looked up at the man, finding him still watching him over his shoulder.

"Where are they taking him?"

"Lord Homura and Lady Koharu wished to speak with him."

Sasuke felt his blood run cold again. Immediately he pushed himself back to a sitting position, ignoring the tearing pain in his head. Before he could even come close to sliding to the edge of the bed, the man had him pinned to the bed once more and Sakura was across the room. Sasuke turned his head to look at Sakura, meaning to ask for her help, but the look on her face made the words catch in his throat. She looked worried, but also determined. To Sasuke's horror, the girl pulled a needle out of a pocket in the smock she was wearing. Before he had time to understand what was happening, she'd shoved the needle into his IV and shot the contents into the drip. Sasuke opened his mouth to ask Sakura what it was, but a lethargy that sucked him back to the brink of darkness began to spread through his body. Fighting against the pull of unconsciousness, Sasuke managed to slur a single word before the darkness pulled him completely under, "Why?"

* * *

**AN:** I am so unbelievably proud of the beginning of this chapter. Just thought I'd put that out there. The whole scene was this tension in my head for several chapters. I had to write it. That's part of what threw me into my frenzy after I finally broke past my block. To have it come out as well as it did, just like it looks in my head... well, that's a rare treat for me. So, allow me my pride. :p

Update on updates! (I amuse myself, humour me. Please. lol) My wrist seems to be better. Most of yesterday it didn't hurt at all. There was some aching when I first woke up and at the end of the day, but nothing bad. And I did get my editing finished so I'm back on track to finish the story. As such, provided my wrist holds out, I should have the story finished by the end of the weekend. Assuming I write at least a chapter a day. Which is always my plan. that's the schedule I shoot for with all of my stories.

I know I left the chapter in a very evil place... I did it on purpose. Buahaha! You have to wait until the next chapter to find out what those old creeps want with Kakashi and what they have planned for him! :D Don't worry, the next chapter will be posted soon.... like... Friday! haha! Can you wait until Friday? Do you have a choice? No! Ahahaha! (Sorry, I'm working on a serious lack of sleep. Lack of sleep makes me rather stupid. lol Sleep deprivation is not my friend when I'm trying to write, but I think I'll be ok.)

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for your faves and reviews! Your love and comments honestly do inspire my muse.


	19. Chapter 19

Kakashi stood apathetically, as if he didn't have a care in the world. While his mask hid his face, he used body language to hide what he was feeling. If it were to become obvious just how angry he was with the two people he was standing before, the ANBU wouldn't be standing so peaceably nearby, watching him with feigned nonchalance. He had a strong feeling that if they were to find out that he was indeed angry, he'd wind up locked away somewhere himself, awaiting his own rescue.

"Are you listening to us, Hatake?" snapped Lady Koharu, drawing Kakashi's full attention back to her.

"Of course I'm listening, Lady Koharu. Is there some reason I shouldn't be listening?"

"Do you think you're funny?"

"I hadn't really thought about it. There are more important things to be thought about. I suppose if I tried I could be amusing. I personally think most people are born with that potential."

Seeing the old woman stiffen in irritation made Kakashi smile darkly behind his mask. Before the woman could continue yelling at him, Kakashi deftly interrupted. "May I ask why you wanted to see me? I am, of course, ready to attend you at any time, but if it's not important, I'd much rather be at the hospital with Sasuke. They assure me that with plenty of rest, and if we can keep him from using his chakra for a while, he'll make a full recovery. It's his mental state I'm more concerned with however. I'm the only one he trusts right now, so I don't want to be away from him any longer than can be helped."

Kakashi let the accusation and implications hang in the air between them, daring either of the elders to deny or try to lessen the severity of what they had done, all in the name of a danger that likely didn't even exist. Kakashi had had nothing more to do than think as he sat beside Sasuke's hospital bed. His thoughts had inevitably turned to Sasuke's story, about the man he'd spoken to after he'd killed his brother. Kakashi knew of Madara, of course. There wasn't a ninja that had attained his rank that didn't know of the former leader of the Uchiha clan. The thought that the man could have survived his battle with the First Hokage seemed doubtful to Kakashi, but the idea the man could still be alive after so many years even if he had survived that fight, was just too much of a stretch for Kakashi to believe. He thought it likely the man Sasuke talked to was just taking advantage of his weakened state and his confusion after killing Itachi to make Sasuke believe what he wanted him to believe. He couldn't begin to guess what purpose that would serve, but he had a feeling that the purpose would one day come to light.

"We want to know what part you played in the young Uchiha's decision to turn his Sharingan on us," Lord Homura asked, getting to the point at last.

Kakashi frowned, knowing that his mask hid the reaction. "If Sasuke turned his Sharingan on, it was because he felt threatened. Considering what you did to him, I'd say he was right to feel threatened."

"Be careful, Hatake, you are treading on very dangerous ground," snapped Lady Koharu.

Kakashi inclined his head in a slight bow as he murmured, "I apologize, My Lady."

"Sasuke came to us saying that he would no longer willingly help us search for the information that Madara had locked away from his conscious mind. When we told him he didn't have a choice as it was, and is, his duty to help the village, he grew aggressive. When the ANBU moved to restrain him, he turned his Sharingan on us.

"We know that he told you about what was going on in this room even though he was forbidden to reveal these meetings to anyone. We also know that you encouraged him to stop cooperating with us. What we are not clear on is whether or not you had part in encouraging him to attempt to harm us with his Sharingan."

"You assume a great deal," Kakashi murmured.

"And what is it you think we are assuming?" snapped the old woman, her eyes flashing with a barely restrained rage.

"That Sasuke would need someone to encourage him to defend himself. Or, if your depiction of the events are to be accepted, to lose his temper. Sasuke has always had a temper brought on by the strong pride that was inherent in the entire Uchiha clan. Now, since he's grown and come to live with me, he's worked arduously to restrain that temper, but when pushed into a corner, that temper can and does still flare. Considering what you've been doing to him, and were trying to force him to continue allowing you to do, it's no wonder that his Uchiha pride would feed into his temper in such a manner. I myself am very proud of Sasuke's ability to hold his temper as well as he did. Let's be honest, had he wanted to, he could have gotten to you both with his Sharingan long before any of the ANBU in the room could have reacted."

"Are you implying that we are lying about what happened?" asked Lord Homura softly, voice gone dangerous.

"I am implying nothing. I am only stating the facts as I know them. Since I wasn't privy to the encounter, and Sasuke had only just been allowed to regain consciousness when you sent the ANBU for me, I've not had a chance to ask him about what happened."

"Meaning that you don't believe we told the truth of what occurred in this room a week ago."

"Meaning that until I talk to Sasuke, I can't begin to guess a reason for his actions, or divine what his intentions might have been," Kakashi stated simply, his own voice having gone careful with an edge of anger warming the words.

"While is does seem your influence was having a positive influence on the young Uchiha when he was first given over into your care, it has become quite clear that you have grown to be a less than exemplary influence on the boy. Had you not pried from him the details of his meetings with us, it is very likely that things would have continued on in their natural course, and nothing negative would ever have come of the time spent--"

"Nothing negative?" Kakashi yelled, letting the first signs of his anger slip free. "You left him nearly dead! His chakra was so thrown off course he was on the verge of death when we found him. His mind had taken such damage that his body was beginning to function erratically. I'm sure you know the effect you were having on him. The headaches would have been the first clue, but the nosebleed he'd had would have been the most obvious!"

Kakashi hadn't noticed that the ANBU had moved closer as he yelled until he felt a hand close firmly over his arm. He turned a glare on the man that held him, but calmed as he looked at the white mask. Taking a step back, Kakashi drew a deep breath, then another, settling himself and reigning in his temper. When he was able to think of speaking without immediately feeling the desire to yell, he squared his shoulders and glanced over to the masked ninja, giving the man a faint nod. When the ANBU stepped back to his previous spot, Kakashi smiled grimly behind his mask and turned his attention back to the two elders.

"What happened to Sasuke wasn't our fault." Lord Homura held up a hand, stopping Kakashi's protest before it could form completely. "Yes, we are the ones that triggered it, but it wasn't our doing that made such things happen to the Uchiha. The headaches were our first clue that something had indeed been hidden away inside his mind. It was meant as a deterrent to keep him from searching for memories that had been blocked away from his mainstream thoughts."

Kakashi went still at the implications of the elder's words. "Then you're saying..."

"Yes, we found what Madara had hidden away from his memories."

"Does this mean you're done with Sasuke? You'll leave him alone now?"

"Yes, we got what we needed. Provided he doesn't cause any more trouble we'll lessen the watch on him in another month or so. However, we are not done with you."

Kakashi's relief that Sasuke's torture was over without the need for him to resort to some form of violence was short lived. Frowning, Kakashi glanced back and forth between the elders. "Me? I haven't got any information to offer. I don't even think it was really Madara Sasuke talked to. It couldn't be, no one could live that long."

"No, but your temper today proves what we'd already begun to suspect. Your influence on your former student is not entirely positive. To guarantee that he doesn't turn out to be a larger problem for the village as he grows older, we think it best to keep him separated from you."

Kakashi stood in stunned silence, staring at the elders and feeling as if the floor had just dropped away under his feet. Closing his eye as a wave of dizziness washed over him, Kakashi forced himself to breath deeply, drawing several slow breathes before he opened his eye and looked at the two elders again. "What did you say?"

"You're to stay away from Sasuke Uchiha," Lady Koharu stated simply.

Frowning, Kakashi shook his head slightly, trying to understand what he was hearing. "That would be rather difficult since we live together."

"That's already been taken care of. He will move in with Naruto Uzumaki and you will be moved back to your former single ninja apartment."

Kakashi chuckled, the sound brittle and devoid of any humour. "Naruto? They'd kill each other."

"I'm sure they can manage just fine until Sasuke's year of probation has passed. He'll move into his own single ninja apartment when he turns seventeen."

Slowly what he was hearing began to sink in and make sense to Kakashi. Frowning, he shook his head slightly and leveled a determined gaze on the elders. "No."

"What?"

"I said 'no.' I won't let you separate us. Sasuke needs me right now. I am the reason he came back to this village. I'm the one he trusts, the one he expects to take care of him and help him find the correct path to maturity. After what you did to him, he needs me now more than ever. I will not be kept away from him."

"This isn't a debate, Hatake," snapped Lady Koharu.

"You're right, it's not," Kakashi stated simply, his hands curling into fists at his side. "You won't keep me away from Sasuke."

"Don't make this any more difficult than it needs to be," started Lord Homura.

"No," Kakashi yelled, taking a step closer, then immediately taking two steps back. "No, I won't let you do this to us! Because you _vultures_ nearly destroyed a young man's mind and triggered a less than pleasant personality trait is no reason for you to punish him! You can't correct the mistakes you made by torturing Sasuke in another way! Do you honestly think he'd stand for this? You thought you had trouble before? What you had to deal with a week ago is going to seem pleasant in comparison!"

"Shut up, Kakashi!" a voice snapped harshly from behind him.

Kakashi whipped around, shocked to realize that he'd let himself sink so far into his anger that the door had opened and someone else had stepped in without him even being aware. When his gaze settled on the hokage, he felt his anger rise, assuming the woman was playing a part in the miscarriage of justice that was now being wrought in the name of the "best interest of the village." He relaxed however, some of his anger seeping away when he realized that the hokage wasn't looking at him, but rather glaring past him at the two elders.

"Tsunade! What are you doing here? This meeting is private!"

"I don't care. When you're playing with the lives of _my_ ninjas, I am going to be part of the decisions you make."

"This meeting is about doing what is best for the village as a whole. The lives of one of two ninjas are unimportant in the greater scheme of things."

Kakashi turned his glare back to the elders as his earlier assumptions were confirmed. "I don't see what--"

"I said shut up, Kakashi," Tsunade said softly, but firmly as she stepped up next to him.

"How did you find out about this meeting, Tsunade?"

"I went to the hospital to check on Sasuke and was told that ANBU had been sent for Kakashi. I knew that you two were still up to something, so I've had an ANBU tailing Kakashi since last night."

Kakashi found himself looking back and forth between the elders and the hokage, surprised at the level of animosity and dissension that passed between them. When Tsunade turned her attention back to Kakashi, he took a step back, waiting quietly. "Go back to Sasuke. He was so upset when you left he was determined to go after you. They had trouble keeping him in his bed, so Sakura had to administer a drug to put him back to sleep. He'll be waking soon and it would be for the best if you were at his side."

"Now wait just a minute, we aren't through talking with Hatake," objected Lady Koharu roughly.

"Yes, you are," replied Tsunade firmly. Turning back to Kakashi she lifted a hand and pointed at the door. "Go. Now. Be with Sasuke, he needs you."

Rather than remain to watch the fighting, Kakashi turned and hurried across the room and pulled the door open. He stepped out into the hall and pulled it closed behind himself, cutting off the shouted protests. He stood in the hall, listening to the muffled sounds of arguing coming from the other side of the door for a few moments. When he felt certain that the last of his anger had bled away and any indication that he had been so upset could easily be hidden away behind his mask, he turned and hurried down the hall. By the time he exited the Hokage's Mansion he was running, thinking only of Sasuke and his need to be with him.

When he arrived, Kakashi ran through the hospital, deftly dodging people. The closer he got to Sasuke the more desperate his need to be near the boy became. He skid to a stop in front of Sasuke's room, looking sharply at Tenzou who stood in the hall, watching him. Kakashi looked carefully at his friend, reading his facial expression as much as the other man would allow himself to reveal. There was no real desperation in the look on Tenzou's face, so Kakashi felt safe in taking a few moments to catch his breath before he spoke.

"Why are you standing out here? Is something wrong?"

"No, Senpai. I was just waiting for you to come back. Sakura is with Sasuke. He is asleep right now and probably will be until later in the morning. He was so upset when you left we couldn't keep him in his bed, so Sakura had to administer something to make him sleep."

"Yes, the hokage mentioned that when she came to extract me from the claws of those vultures. How did you know I'd be back?"

"Lady Hokage went to speak with the elders. I knew that she would send you away, and I also knew that you would come back here to be with Sasuke the moment she got you out."

Remembering something Tsunade had said, Kakashi looked closer at his friend, frowning slightly behind his mask. "You're the one she's had tailing me, aren't you? You're the one that told her where I'd gone."

"Yes, Senpai."

Kakashi was no longer able to read Tenzou. The other man had made his face as blank as Kakashi's was with his ever present mask. There was something that Tenzou didn't want him to know. Kakashi wanted to press for details, but he knew there was no point. He trusted Tenzou in a way he trusted few men, and he knew that if that hidden knowledge was something he would need to know, Tenzou would let him know when the time was right. Kakashi looked at the other man silently for a few moments longer, then nodded his head and pushed the door to Sasuke's room open. When he stepped into the room, Sakura stood and walked over to him. He looked down at his former student, reading her worry for Sasuke and her desire to ask questions and waited. When she just sighed and glanced back at Sasuke before walking out the door Kakashi still held open, he looked after the girl in mild surprise.

"Seems this is the day for secrets," Kakashi murmured to himself as he walked across the room and sat on the edge of Sasuke's bed. "Or, at least, the day for not saying what you really want to say."

After a long pause, Kakashi looked down at Sasuke, grinning behind his mask. "Though, that's not a problem you suffer from is it, Sasuke? I've never known you to have trouble speaking your mind. It's an admirable quality, if a bit frustrating at times."

Assured that Sasuke was as well as he'd left him, Kakashi slid off the edge of the bed and pulled the chair next to the bed closer and sitting in it. Leaning against the side of the bed, Kakashi watched the rise and fall of Sasuke's chest, the sound of his breathing soothing in the quiet room. The stress at the previous week and the long periods without sleep started to catch up to Kakashi as he listened to that rhythmic breathing. Knowing he was going to fall asleep whether if he wanted to or not, Kakashi leaned himself more comfortably against the bed and folded his arms along the edge, laying his head down on his arms, his gaze never leaving Sasuke until sleep at last pulled him under.

* * *

**AN:** Not a lot to say for once. I'm struggling with the end of the story. It's making me crazy. I had hoped to get it finished this weekend, now it's looking to be more likely I'll finish it early next week. Either way, I should be able to keep the same posting schedule until the end. So, that means you can look for chapter 20 on Sunday.

Now, I'll go watch the new Naruto Shippuuden movie. I hear it's very Kakashi intensive. My inner (and outer) fangirl is going wild. Perhaps after I watch the movie I'll be better able to concentrate and do some writing. XD As always, thanks for the comments. You guys are the best! :D


	20. Chapter 20

"Damn you, Sakura," Sasuke slurred, still sluggish from the remnants of the drug that lingered in his veins.

"That's no way to talk to a lady, Sasuke," came Kakashi's amused voice from somewhere to his left.

Sasuke forced his eyes open, the sudden rush of adrenaline pushing the lingering effects of the drug away. Turning his head and half-sitting, he found Kakashi standing in the center of the room. The curl of his eye told Sasuke the man was smiling at him. That sign of a smile had always irritated him, and this instance was no exception. The relief that had filled him when he saw Kakashi standing in his room was washed away on a flood if irritation. As if it had cleared a path, Sasuke's irritation was replaced by simple anger as Kakashi moved across the room and sat in the chair next to his bed. The look he was getting from the older man spoke volumes about the look Sasuke was directing at the man. He'd never seen Kakashi look more wary in his life. It gave Sasuke a small spurt of satisfaction to know he'd put that look there.

"Are you just going to continue glaring at me in the hopes that I'll fall over dead, Sasuke, or do you plan on letting me know why you're so angry with me this time?" Kakashi asked after several moments of tense silence.

"Why did you go so willingly? Did you have a temporary lapse in memory, forgetting why I'm laying here in this bed?" Sasuke asked quietly, his voice shaking minutely with a scarcely checked anger.

Sighing, Kakashi leaned back in the chair, tension flowing out of his body with his breath. Lounging there, Kakashi watched Sasuke silently until his anger finally forced him to a full sitting position. The pain crashed back in instantly, making Sasuke regret his decision to sit up, but he refused to let it have its way with him. Even as Kakashi's face began to swim in and out of focus in time to the pounding in his head, Sasuke lifted a hand and pointed at the man, drawing an amused look from him that only fanned the flames of his anger, making it easier for him to ignore the pain.

"Answer me!"

"Sasuke, you're nearly seventeen years old. Don't you think it's time you stopped having tantrums?"

Jerking as if he'd been slapped, Sasuke pulled his hand back and curled it into a fist. Glaring at Kakashi, he tried desperately to find a properly scathing retort that wouldn't amuse the man more than he already was. "Why don't you just leave?"

Sasuke was satisfied to see the surprise that registered in Kakashi's eye though the other man concealed it quickly. "Do you really want me to leave, Sasuke?"

Laying back down and turning his head away from Kakashi, Sasuke closed his eyes and said nothing. He heard Kakashi stand up several minutes later and quietly walk across the room. He lay silent, listening for the sound of the door to open, fighting not to look as time passed and the door didn't open. When Kakashi spoke quietly from across the room, Sasuke had to fight not to jump in reaction to the unexpected voice.

"I went because I had no choice. I couldn't very well tell them I wouldn't come. They'd have forced me then and things would have been worse. I couldn't fight them. Even if I did have a chance of winning, it would only make for more trouble later. I did what I had to do. I came back to you as quickly as I could Sasuke. I'm sorry I worried you, that was never my intention."

Sasuke wanted to say something nasty, anything that would change the mood back to what it had been before. His anger was easier to understand and deal with than the emotions that Kakashi's words stirred in him. Turning his head, Sasuke opened his mouth to tell Kakashi to leave again, only to find that the other man had already left as he struggled with emotions that were alien to him. He'd been so caught up in trying to understand what he was feeling that he hadn't heard the door open and close behind him. Guilt washed over Sasuke in a hot wave, heating his face and making his heart go cold. Squeezing his eyes closed, Sasuke cursed silently for once again letting his temper get the upper hand.

He was about to slip back into the welcome darkness of sleep when he heard the door to his room swish open again. Heart leaping, thinking that Kakashi had come back, Sasuke opened his eyes and looked across the room. When he saw that it wasn't Kakashi that had come into his room, Sasuke felt a pang of regret. As his visitor moved across the room, Sasuke's regret was slowly replaced with dread and the first buds of annoyance, ready to bloom the second his visitor opened his mouth.

"Sasuke! Are you alright? What happened? Sakura said you're in the hospital. I didn't think you were going on missions again yet," Naruto nearly yelled as he moved to sit next to Sasuke.

Scowling at the other boy, Sasuke fought not to yell at him. "I wasn't on a mission. You don't need to worry about what happened, it's over now."

"Well, whatever happened to you, did it happen to Kakashi-sensei too?"

Frowning, Sasuke turned his head to better look at Naruto. "No, it didn't. Why?"

"I was just wondering. He's here at the hospital too, I thought maybe he got hurt with you and had come down from his room to visit you."

Frowning harder, Sasuke tried to make sense of what his former teammate was saying. "What are you talking about you idiot? Kakashi isn't here."

"Sure he is," Naruto insisted loudly. "He's sitting out in the hall next to your door. He looks almost as bad as you do right now."

Sasuke blinked, trying to make himself understand what he was hearing. Turning his head, Sasuke looked up at the ceiling. Warmth spread through his body, the strange emotions he'd had earlier returning with a vengeance. Pushing the feelings roughly aside, Sasuke glanced over at Naruto and scowled. "Well, you'd had to ask him about that. Would you leave please? I'm kind of tired right now. Sakura keeps drugging me to make me sleep, and I guess that last dose is still working on me."

"Sure, I'll come back and see you later. I guess it is kind of early to be visiting. Gai-sensei said he would train with me today, but I wanted to stop in and see you before I went to start training. If you're still awake, I'll come back by and see you again after I finish my training."

Sasuke nodded but said nothing, watching as Naruto stood and hurried across the room. When he pulled the door open, Sasuke strained his neck, trying to spot Kakashi in the hallway. He couldn't see the man, but he thought he heard Kakashi's voice just before the door swung closed. Sighing, Sasuke closed his eyes and started to drift back toward sleep once more. Just before drifting off it occurred to him that Naruto had accepted his decision to not tell him about what had happened much too easily. Swimming back toward full consciousness, Sasuke frowned as he thought about this fact. After several minutes he decided Sakura must have threatened him before allowing him in to visit. Chuckling in spite of himself, Sasuke closed his eyes again and cleared his mind, letting sleep claim him.

The sound of his door opening jerked Sasuke from a light sleep. Turning his head hoping to see Kakashi, he was dismayed to see it wasn't. He was also equally surprised to see who it was that had come to see him. Frowning, Sasuke said nothing as the hokage walked over and stood beside his bed. Something in the woman's eyes didn't bode well for the conversation to come and Sasuke found himself wishing he were asleep, or anywhere but stuck in a hospital bed, unable to dodge a conversation he was sure he wasn't going to like. It was so against his nature to want to run from anything that Sasuke was able to let anger burn in his chest and hold him firmly in place.

"You seem to be recovering well."

"I wouldn't know. No one will tell me what was wrong with me."

"That's because the stress isn't something you need right now. It would delay, if not completely reverse, your recovery. You'll be told in a day or two.

"I came because there are some questions I need to ask you. Decisions have been made, but I'm not sure if they were the right ones. First of all, how much do you remember about your last day in that cell?"

Sasuke frowned at the question, but turned his mind back, trying to sort through the tangle of memories. With the irregular meals and the never changing light, one day was difficult to distinguish from another. "Well, to be honest, the only thing I remember clearly is looking at Kakashi when he came into the cell. Everything else is just a confused tangle of memories from the entire time I was there."

"Do you remember the last time Lady Koharu and Lord Homura came to dig around in your head?"

"Only vaguely. Most of my memory around that time is fuzzy. I can remember them coming in and something was said about that being the last time. They said they were going to have their answers no matter what."

Tsunade frowned and turned away from Sasuke, staring across the room at the closed door for several minutes. When she turned back to face Sasuke once more, he knew whatever she was about to say was going to be something he didn't want to hear. "They found something in your memories apparently. They want to question you some more about your conversation with Madara."

Sasuke felt the color drain from his face. It was a reaction that he'd never experienced before, and it quickly became anger. "No! I'm through with their questions! I told them that already! I've given them what I can; all that I have!"

"Yes, they're aware of that. They have specific question they want to ask you now that they have this knew knowledge. Verbal questions, nothing like before."

"No, I said," Sasuke yelled, his hands balling into fists at his side. "I've given everything I'm willing to give to this village! I'll not give my life! Not to the two people that are the cause of my clans death!"

"That is your decision, and I won't try to make you change your mind, but don't you think--"

"No," Sasuke nearly screamed, his face growing hot with his rage. He pushed himself to a sitting position, barely noticing when the door slammed open and several people ran into his room. "I told you I'm not giving them anything else!"

"Sasuke!"

The sharply commanding voice was one he knew well and automatically deferred to as he had when he was still a young ninja. Breathing rapidly, Sasuke glared around the room at the ANBU that had filed in when he started yelling. When his gaze at last landed on Kakashi and the glare his former sensei was directing at him, he began to calm. Hands that had clenched painfully at his sides were slowly uncurled as he sat, looking at Kakashi. It was several minutes before he could tear his gaze away from the older man, and when he did, he was shocked to find that the room was empty. As he'd battled with his anger, everyone had left. The fact that he hadn't noticed disturbed him on a deep level.

"I'm leaving," Sasuke said abruptly before he even realized that he was going to speak.

"No, you have to stay here until they say you're ready to be released. Sakura will keep you drugged if she has to, and I'm sure you don't want that," Kakashi replied pleasantly.

Sasuke looked away from Kakashi then. He turned his gaze down to his palms, looking at the little crescents of blood his fingernails had left in his palms. "No, I'm leaving Konoha. Call me a coward, hate me if you want, but I can't stay here. I came home looking for absolution, and all I found was horror, pain and torture. This isn't the home I remembered and wanted to come back to."

The silence that filled the room seemed solid enough that Sasuke thought he should be able to feel it. Kakashi had gone so perfectly still where he stood by the door, that Sasuke finally had to turn his head to make sure the man was still standing there. Seeing the pained look that had tightened the flesh around Kakashi's eye made Sasuke's breath catch in his throat. The anger that soon followed, pushed that pain away, forced the air from his lungs as if he'd been punched in the stomach.

"Is that your answer to everything, Sasuke? Are you going to spend the rest of your life running away?"

Sasuke scowled and hunched his shoulders, looking away from Kakashi. "No, I'll find somewhere to settle eventually."

"But you'll never be happy," Kakashi said quietly.

Sasuke glanced over at the man, finding that he'd moved to stand in the center of the room, watching him intently. "Happiness is something I gave up on a long time ago, Kakashi."

"So did I. Then you came back." Sasuke looked sharply at Kakashi again, but before he could reply, the older man continued. "You were growing; maturing before my eyes. I watched you settling into a new life here in Konoha, and for the first time since I met you, I saw genuine happiness in you."

Sasuke tore his gaze away from Kakashi with some effort, then shrugged irritably, trying to dredge up his anger once more, needing its protection. "That was before they tried to rip my mind to shreds, not caring what they did to me. I can't live here knowing that they might come after me again. If they did, I would kill them both."

"You'd have get me out of the way first."

Sasuke turned a glare on Kakashi, feeling a sharp pain of betrayal lance through his heart. "You'd defend them, even after what they did?"

Kakashi shook his head slowly and closed the distance between them, standing at the edge of Sasuke's bed, looking down at him. "No, I'd defend you. I would kill them before I'd let them get to within speaking distance of you."

Sasuke looked away again, feeling that warmth spread through him again. He realized Kakashi was having this effect on him more and more often, and he was starting to enjoy it. "You'd give up everything, just like that."

It wasn't a question, but Kakashi answered as if it were. "Yes, I would. They gave up their right to be respected when they did what they did to you. I can understanding sacrificing one to save the whole, but I can't understand the way in which they chose to do it. If they'd just been honest about everything from the start, things would have turned out so much differently. I realize now though that their secrecy is inherent to their personality. There's no changing it."

"I don't trust them, Kakashi."

"I know you don't. I don't trust them anymore either. I think they're up to something still, but I promise I won't let them get anywhere near you, Sasuke."

Sasuke glanced over at Kakashi, weighing his words silently, then looked away. After a few moments he laid down and stared up at the ceiling as if the answers he needed could be found up there. "I don't know. I think it would be for the best if I just left."

"To just walk away and hurt Naruto, Sakura again?" After a brief pause, he added softly, "And me."

Sasuke winced as guilt spiked through him. "I'm sorry, Kakashi."

"Don't be sorry, just don't leave," Kakashi stated simply.

Sasuke nodded, frowning up at the ceiling. "I'll think about it, but that's the best I can offer."

"That's all I can ask right now."

* * *

**AN:** As I edited this chapter, I finally broke through my last block. I now know everything that's going to happen between here and the end of the story. I didn't write at all this weekend. So, I missed my mark of finishing it by tonight. Ah well. Happy ending ahead! I'll make sure of that, even if I have to kill everyone but Kakashi and Sasuke to get it! XD Next chapter should be ready to go on schedule Tuesday!


	21. Chapter 21

They managed to keep Sasuke in the hospital for a week. Sakura worried that he wasn't recovered enough yet to leave, but Kakashi knew from the moment he stepped into Sasuke's room that morning that there was no chance for anyone to talk to boy into staying any longer. They didn't talk about Sasuke's desire to leave Konoha until he'd been out of the hospital for a close to a month. Out with Kakashi for some exercise and fresh air, Sasuke had stiffened, going pale at the sight of a single ANBU walking across their path some distance away. Kakashi was suspicious of the man walking so openly with no clear reason for being out in the open. Rather than give in to the desire to threaten the man, he'd turned Sasuke around and took him back to their apartment. They talked for a while then about Sasuke's desire to leave. Kakashi could only manage to get Sasuke to agree again to think about his desire to leave as he had in the hospital when Sasuke had first told him he wanted to leave.

It wasn't long after that encounter that Kakashi was informed that he was going to be sent on missions again. He resisted the idea only momentarily, and only in his own mind. He didn't want to leave Sasuke alone, but he knew there was no way he could defy the hokage and give up his duty as a ninja. Though it was difficult, Kakashi managed to arrange for Tenzou to keep an eye on Sasuke while he was on his missions, making sure his friend understood that if Sasuke found out he were being followed it would be disastrous. He never once doubted Tenzou's ability to watch Sasuke without the boy knowing, but still the risk made him nervous each time he left.

They set up a routine shortly after Kakashi started leaving regularly on missions. Before he'd leave, Sasuke would always promise to not leave the village until Kakashi returned. As soon as Kakashi would return from his missions, he'd ask Sasuke if he'd come to a decision, and each time Sasuke would inform him that he hadn't really had time to think about it. They both knew that there was nothing keeping Sasuke busy, but Kakashi let the boy have the lie as it seemed to make him comfortable. Eventually, Sasuke did find something to keep himself busy while he was away. Kakashi returned from a mission late one afternoon to find their apartment empty. It was a short search to find Sasuke at the training grounds with Naruto and Sakura. Kakashi never said a word to him about it, letting Sasuke have his secret.

The Akatsuki began to increase the frequency of their forays into the Land of Fire shortly after that, seeking to capture Naruto. Diligence in protecting Naruto was increased with each attempt, and the tighter the reigns on him grew, the louder the boy got. The louder Naruto got, the more Sasuke seemed to draw into himself, funneling whatever he wasn't speaking into the physical exertion of training, honing his skills to a razor sharpness that impressed even the least impressionable jounin. Through it all, Kakashi never failed to notice the guilt that Sasuke was dealing with and attempting to hide. He considered talking to the boy about his guilt once, wanting to help allay that pain, but he knew he couldn't. Anything he could say to Sasuke would only make the boy draw deeper into his silence. The fact that the elders were watching Sasuke with angry eyes made Kakashi loathe to ever leave Sasuke's side. It seemed to him that Sasuke had failed to notice the looks, and that helped ease his conscience each time he had to leave the village.

Weeks bled into months, and before he was ready for it, Sasuke's seventeenth birthday was approaching. He'd been granted a brief break from missions, giving the reason that he wanted to help Sasuke move and settle in to his own apartment. Kakashi didn't want Sasuke to leave, but he could never find the words to express that. The closer it came to his birthday, the more distant Sasuke seemed to grow. Figuring that his reluctant roommate was looking forward to moving out on his own once more, but was trying to keep from hurting his feelings by admitting it out loud, Kakashi left the boy alone as often as he could, not pressing him about anything. The week leading up to Sasuke's birthday was particularly tense. It seemed to Kakashi that he only had to look at the boy to upset him. It was frustration with this unbearable living experience that finally drove Kakashi away from their apartment, seeking solace from his friend.

"You look like someone stole your books, Senpai."

"My books?" Kakashi asked curiously, looking over at Tenzou.

"Well, yes. I know they're the most important thing in your life. Aside from your duty to the village, of course."

Kakashi smiled and uttered a brittle laugh as he shook his head. "Perhaps at one time they were. So much has changed though."

Tenzou was quiet for several long minutes, then sighed. Kakashi glanced over at his friend, taking in the blank look that was being directed at him. He knew Tenzou was hiding something from him, but before he could even consider trying to pry this information from him, he spoke. "Have you told him yet, Senpai?"

Kakashi blinked in confusion and shook his head slowly. "Told who, what?"

"Have you told Sasuke that you don't want him to leave. Have you told him that you've grown to love him in the past year?"

Kakashi could only stare at Tenzou as the words slowly sank in. Looking away, Kakashi chuckled and lifted a hand to rub at the back of his head. "Is it that obvious?"

"It has been for a long time, Senpai. I've been watching it happen," Tenzou informed him bluntly.

"Why do I have a feeling you knew what was happening long before I did?"

"Probably because I did. You had more important things to worry about. It's when we least expect it that love finds its way into our lives, Senpai."

"Maybe so, but he's just a kid." Kakashi stopped himself, frowning as he considered what he'd said, then shook his head. "No, he's not a kid. That's what attracted me. I watched him become a man. I guess to some small part of me, he'll always be that twelve-year-old genin that looked at me with such aloof indifference five years ago."

"So, have you told him that?"

Kakashi leaned back against the couch and sighed, staring across the room at nothing in particular as he chose his words carefully. "I've told him more than once that I'm proud of the man he's become. I've never failed to praise him when he earned it in the past year. It was an effort to remind myself that it was the gentle prod that Sasuke needed to stay on the correct path."

"Have you told him that you've grown to love him though?"

Kakashi frowned at the insistence in Tenzou's voice and glanced over at the man. "No, I haven't. I don't think I was even acknowledging it until you pointed it out to me. That's the last thing Sasuke needs to hear right now."

"Why?"

Kakashi frowned and jumped to his feet, beginning to pace the room, hands clasped behind his back. "I told you about Sasuke's decision to leave Konoha when he was still in the hospital. I told you how I talked him out of it. What I never told you is that Sasuke never made a decision whether he was going to stay forever or leave. I ask him every time I come back from a mission, but he always tells me the same thing. 'I don't know. I'll think about it.' What if I tell him I want him to stay with me, that I've grown to love him as more than just my protégé, and that's the factor that finally makes him leave the village?"

"What if it's the one thing he needs to hear to make the decision to stay? What if he's been waiting all this time for you to tell him that you want him to stay? You never told him what you wanted. He may think that you don't want him around."

Kakashi stopped pacing and turned to look at Tenzou. So many possibilities swirled in his mind that he began to grow dizzy. Shaking his head and forcing his thoughts to calm, Kakashi frowned at Tenzou. "What if he doesn't want the same thing?"

Tenzou smiled, but there was something missing from that gesture, some aching emptiness that Kakashi couldn't quite understand. "Then you will go on as you always have, but at least Sasuke will be able to make his decision knowing everything that he needs to know."

Pushing to his feet, Tenzou closed the distance between them and smiled more fully at Kakashi before he continued. "Besides, I've seen the way he looks at you; the way he acts. I think he'd be more susceptible to what you have to say than you think."

Kakashi looked skeptically at his friend, remembering all the fighting he and Sasuke had been doing in the past few months. Pushing his skepticism aside, Kakashi thought about Sasuke's usual manner of dealing with something that bothered him and his propensity to get angry and it began to make sense. Looking sharply at Tenzou, Kakashi began to realize that his friend may indeed be correct in his assumption that Sasuke shared Kakashi's feelings to some degree. He spared a moment to think how a relationship with Sasuke might go over with the general public, but knew in an instant that he didn't really care what anyone else thought. Sasuke's happiness, and to a lesser degree his own, was all that mattered to him.

A sudden thought popped into Kakashi's head and immediately spilled out into cold laughter that was laced with genuine amusement. At Tenzou's questioning look, Kakashi forced his laughter back and explained, "When Sasuke was in the hospital, the elders told me that they wanted to keep me separated from Sasuke. They were going to move him in with Naruto because they didn't like the effect I was having on him. They're really going to be displeased if Sasuke and I stay together, because I've got a feeling they were just waiting for him to move into his own apartment before they went after him again."

Tenzou nodded, then moved back to sit in his chair once more. "That may be. So, what are you going to do, Senpai?"

Kakashi noted the subject change, but let it go. He wasn't going to put his friend in a position where he had to choose between secrecy he was supposed to keep and his desire to be a friend to him. "I guess I'm going to go home and wait for Sasuke to come back from his training with Naruto. No doubt he'll be in a pleasant mood and susceptible to overtures of affection," he added sarcastically.

"Tomorrow is his birthday isn't it? They'll be moving him into his new apartment."

Kakashi nodded and walked over to Tenzou, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Thank you for always being there for me. And thank you for helping me to see what I need to do. I'm not letting him leave, I don't care what it takes."

"Good luck, Senpai."

Kakashi gave the man one last look, noticing the hints of a deeply hidden, paid-shrouded secret had left him. Tenzou looked content and happy in a manner that Kakashi rarely saw from the other man. Still, as he left the apartment and moved through the village, he couldn't help but think in all the months he'd been coming to Tenzou with his problems involving Sasuke, he'd been missing something and putting his friend in an uncomfortable position. He made a mental note to settle things with his friend as soon as he'd settled things with Sasuke.

* * *

**AN:** Sorry I'm so late getting this up today. I totally forgot it was Tuesday! lol

I don't have much to say about this chapter. I feel like I missed something somewhere, but I can't quite but my finger on it. I'll figure it out eventually if it's important and correct the issue before the end of the story. Speaking of the end, it's now official. I've got the rest of the story worked out in great detail. There are 2 more chapters left. Yes, folks, the end is in sight! (Hopefully my sanity will hold out until then. lol)

Oh, i am the night angel, the scene you've been waiting for is finally upon us! You get it in the next chapter. Now you have something to look forward to Thursday. Chuuuuuu~! ;)


	22. Chapter 22

Sasuke walked slowly, the ghosts of his past hovering around him, making a deep ache build in his chest. Turning his face into the warm breeze, Sasuke closed his eyes, feeling the caress of the wind wash away painful memories. Slowly he let go of old anger, resentment and hurt. Each negative emotion carried with it its own ghost until there was nothing left. Standing in the center of the former Uchiha clan's compound, Sasuke's black gaze darted from building to building, conjuring long suppressed happy memories of his few years growing up there.

Brushing his hair out of his eyes, Sasuke turned and started to walk slowly to the opening of the compound. As he stepped out, he looked back over his shoulder, pausing to stare long and hard at the Uchiha fan emblazoned on the arch that announced the ownership of the compound with pride. Reaching a hand up as he stared at the huge fan, Sasuke trailed his fingertips over the smaller fan on his shoulder. At last he turned away and headed back through the village.

The closer Sasuke got to the apartment he shared with Kakashi the more tense he became. With his tension came anger, his first instinct in any situation that made him uncomfortable. Try as he might, Sasuke couldn't lessen that tension, but he had long since learned how to curb his temper. Focusing on controlling that anger helped to alleviate some of his tension. By the time he reached the apartment, Sasuke felt he had a chance of getting through the coming confrontation with Kakashi without things getting completely out of hand. They hadn't had a real knock-down-drag-out in several months and Sasuke was hopeful that he could hold his temper long enough to keep one from arising.

When he stepped into the apartment and Kakashi looked up at him, the tension immediately rolled over him again and Sasuke felt himself itching for a fight. Clenching his jaws, Sasuke narrowed his eyes and looked away from Kakashi, heading down the hall for their bedroom. He drew a deep breath as he stepped into the room, taking in the relative peace that always seemed to fill that room, Sasuke began to relax, until Kakashi stepped into the room behind him. Feeling the tension tighten painfully in his shoulders, Sasuke walked away from Kakashi and began to gather up his clothes and other minor belongings that he had acquired in the months he'd been back in Konoha.

The silence dragged on, becoming almost a tangible beast between them. When he could stand it no longer, Sasuke spun around to glare at Kakashi, only to be caught off-guard by the obvious nervous tension that surrounded him. Turning away, Sasuke hunched his shoulders and grumbled, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I don't want you to leave, Sasuke."

Sasuke stopped, one hand shoved into the bag he'd pulled from under his bed, fingers tightening around the pants he had just shoved in. Frowning, Sasuke stood up, but didn't turn back to face his roommate. "I've finally made my decision. I'm not going to leave. I've decided I'll stay here. I'm not going to let those bastards that killed my clan have the satisfaction of ridding the village completely of the Uchiha. I may never be able to rebuild the clan as I wanted to when I was a kid, but I can make them proud by becoming the best man I can be; a positive reflection on the Uchiha clan as a whole."

"I don't mean the village, Sasuke."

Sasuke bent and resumed shoving items into the bag. "I've decided I'm going to move to my clan's compound. I don't care what those old fools say, I have the right to live there."

"I wish you wouldn't try so hard to deliberately piss them off, Sasuke," Kakashi finally said tiredly from behind him.

"I'm sorry you feel that way Kakashi, but I'm not going to spend the rest of my life shying away from the shadows, afraid of being abducted by the ANBU. I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of knowing they had that kind of effect on me. I'm not going to let them run my life." Shoving the last of his clothes into the bag, Sasuke grunted in irritation then spun around to face Kakashi. "Is that what you want? You want me to cower away from them, afraid of what they might do if I don't let them run my life?"

Kakashi sighed and rubbed at his right eye before he replied. "Of course not. What I want is for you to stay clear of them, and that includes not deliberately doing something that you know will draw their attention and possible repercussions."

"I'm setting the ground rules, Kakashi. If I don't do it now, it won't be done. Either you support me in this, or you support them. Decide."

"Why do you have to be such a pain in the ass all the time Sasuke? Can't you see that I just want what's best for you?"

Sasuke stiffened, feeling his anger boil to the surface, though he managed to keep it mostly under his control. "This isn't about what you want."

"That's supremely obvious since you chose to ignore me when I told you what I wanted," Kakashi replied blandly, his posture tense.

Sasuke frowned and shook his head, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "You know how I feel about this, Kakashi. I appreciate the fact that you want to protect me from them, but I have to do this."

Sasuke could see the confusion on Kakashi's face, and though the lower half of his face was hidden, he could tell the older man was frowning. "No, I'm not talking about that. Didn't you hear me? I said I want you to stay. I don't want you to leave me."

Scowling, Sasuke lifted one of his hands, uncurling his index finger to point accusingly at Kakashi. "I appreciate your desire to protect me, but you're carrying it too far."

Several emotion flooded rapidly through Kakashi's visible eye, many flashing by too quickly for Sasuke to read. Finally Kakashi seemed to settle in simple frustration and reached out, pushing Sasuke's hand to the side as he muttered, "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" Sasuke snapped irritably.

Rather than reply, Kakashi reached out with his right hand and hooked it around the back of Sasuke's neck, jerking him close as his left hand reached up and tugged his mask down. Stunned, Sasuke didn't have a chance to react either to the fact that Kakashi had just revealed his face for the first time, or to his being jerked forward to him. In a heartbeat he recovered from the shock enough to stiffen, but Kakashi's lips found his in that moment and another wave of shock rolled through him. His body and mind battled through the shock and confusion, trying to find the proper reaction, which left him standing stiffly, eyes wide and heart thudding rapidly in his chest. When Kakashi stepped back, letting him go and settling his mask back in place, Sasuke finally began to understand what was happening and his shock gave way to pleasure, then embarrassment and finally anger. Stepping back, Sasuke lifted a hand, pressing the back of it against his pleasantly tingling lips.

"In the past year I've grown to love you. Not as my student, not even as my friend. I love you in a way I've never loved anyone else. Please, Sasuke, stay with me."

Each word seemed to spike his anger, giving Sasuke comfort as it pushed his embarrassment aside. Before he could form a reply, a sudden tension in Kakashi and the glare over his shoulder alerted Sasuke that someone was behind him. He spun around and found himself facing a masked ninja, and his anger flared even hotter.

"The hokage requests your presence, Sasuke Uchiha."

Scowling, Sasuke turned back to the bed and bent over it to close his bag. He glanced over his shoulder to find Kakashi still glaring at the ANBU, then stood and looked at the masked ninja himself. "What does she want?"

"You to come to her office," the ANBU replied stiffly.

"Tch, I don't have time for this right now!"

"You need to make time. If a request won't work, she issued an order for you to come."

Rather then reply, Sasuke pushed past the masked ninja and stalked from the apartment, heading for the Hokage's Mansion. He barely noticed when the ANBU and then Kakashi fell in on either side of him. Hurrying his pace, Sasuke moved a few paces ahead of the other men and was relieved when they took the hint and stayed back. As he walked, Sasuke worked to calm his rapidly thumping heart. From time to time he lifted his hand, pressing his fingers against his lips, trying to forget the feeling of Kakashi's lips so warm and firm against his own. The feel of Kakashi's chakra so close behind him made Sasuke's efforts to put the kiss from his mind all but impossible. By the time he'd reached the hokage's office he had stirred his anger into a raging blaze that helped to push thoughts of how much he'd actually enjoyed that kiss from his mind.

Stepping into the office without knocking, Sasuke directed a glare at the older woman and snapped irritably, "What do you want with me now? I'm busy right--"

"You've always had this problem with recognizing authority, haven't you, boy?" snapped a familiar voice from much too close to his left.

Turning his head, Sasuke found himself looking at the two elders. Two desires warred within him at the same time. Part of him wanted to turn and walk back out of the office, but a larger part of him wanted to throw himself at the old advisors and rip their throats out. Both choices were canceled when Kakashi stepped into the office and immediately moved to stand between Sasuke and the targets of his rage. Kakashi hadn't pulled a weapon out yet, but Sasuke could tell by the tension in his body that he wanted to do just that.

"Kakashi, stand down," snapped the hokage from behind her desk.

Sasuke looked at Kakashi a moment longer, then turned his attention back to the hokage. "If he moves, I leave. Why are you demanding my presence?"

"Sasuke," Kakashi murmured quietly.

Looking over at the man, Sasuke found him looking back over his shoulder at him. Sasuke sighed and nodded, ignoring the flush of pleasure just looking at Kakashi had caused. Stepping closer to the desk, Sasuke inclined his head to the hokage, a minimum bow. When he looked at the older woman again he found her smirking at him, and though it irritated him, he kept silent, waiting for answers.

"Naruto Uzumaki is missing and you were the last person to see him."

Sasuke glanced back, meaning to look at Lady Koharu but found himself looking at Kakashi instead. The man had moved to keep himself between Sasuke and the two elders and was watching him intently, body still rigid with a tension that nearly crackled in the air around him. Sasuke stared at the other man, his thoughts inexplicably returning to the kiss and what Kakashi had said afterwards. Blinking slowly, Sasuke frowned at the man, finally giving his confession some thought. A confused tangle of emotion seemed to follow the thoughts. He was no more sure in that moment how he should feel about the confession than he'd known how to feel about the kiss while Kakashi's lips were pressed to his. Drawing a breath to ask Kakashi to confirm his earlier confession, but was distracted by movement from behind him.

Remembering where he was and annoyed at the flush of embarrassment he felt, Sasuke turned back to look at the hokage who had stood behind her desk. "You really sent ANBU to get me because you can't find Naruto?"

"With the Akatsuki making more and more effort to get Naruto, I think it's for the best that anything involving Naruto involve at least one ANBU agent."

"Besides, it could very well be that you killed Uzumaki, or at least disabled him and delivered him to Madara and the rest of the Akatsuki."

The breath whooshed out of Sasuke's lungs as if he'd been struck in the stomach. Slowly his vision seemed to narrow down to a small area, viewed through a tunnel of red. Heat slowly raised in his face and his vision sharpened suddenly with the activation of his Sharingan. Several things seemed to happen at once, and Sasuke was wholly unaware of most of it. Time ceased to have meaning for him and there was no longer a present. Just as suddenly as it had started, everything stopped and time seemed to resume it's normal pace and Sasuke was aware of his surroundings and the present moment once again. Kakashi was holding him tightly around the waist, he feet lifted completely from the floor. There was a wall of masked ninja between himself and the elders, but he knew they were still in the room because he could feel the signature of their chakra weakly.

Sound was the last thing to return, and when it did the cacophony of shouts made Sasuke's head instantly hurt. Finally one voice managed to raise above the rest. "Enough," Tsunade shouted, silencing everyone.

Sasuke went limp in Kakashi's grasp, the fight draining out of him. Panting harshly as if he'd just run to the limit of his stamina, Sasuke felt almost weak. After several moments Kakashi set him back on his feet, but didn't let him go. Sasuke leaned back against the older man and closed his eyes, fighting to regain control of the last of his temper. When he opened his eyes again, the room had emptied of most of the ANBU. Two flanked the hokage's desk, and when he glanced at the elders he found two more standing in front of them, watching Kakashi and himself closely. Sasuke looked away from them and focused his attention on the hokage, waiting.

"You know what we saw in the boy's mind, Tsunade. He's a trap. It's only a matter of time before he activates."

Sasuke stiffened, then forced himself to relax when Kakashi's arms tightened around him again. "Naruto is with Jiraiya."

Tsunade looked back at Sasuke, blinking as if surprised to find him still standing there. "What?"

"Naruto and I were heading back into the village when Jiraiya showed up. Naruto went chasing after the man, yelling something about a new jutsu and training. I left and came back into the village, and Naruto stayed with Jiraiya."

"Why were you outside of the village?"

"I leave the village quite often. I'm sure my tail has reported that to you on several occasions. I was trying to decide if I wanted to stay, or go start a new life somewhere else. Naruto followed me, we talked, then sparred for a while."

"Did you see where Naruto and Jiraiya were heading when you left them?"

Sasuke sighed and trying to crush growing annoyance. "I told you, they were standing there talking when I left. They didn't go anywhere as far as I know."

Any further questions were forestalled by a quick, hard rap at the door. When the hokage snapped for the interruption to enter, another ANBU stepped into the room. "Lady Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki has been found. He is with Master Jiraiya at Ichiraku Ramen."

Sasuke looked from the ANBU to the hokage, but said nothing. Pushing Kakashi's hands away, Sasuke stepped out of his grasp and walked across the room, meaning to leave, but Kakashi's voice stopped him and his words made Sasuke turn back to look at the hokage once more. "What's this about Sasuke being some kind of trap?"

The hokage looked directly at Sasuke, holding eye contact with him as she answered Kakashi's question. "Madara planned to use Sasuke to lure Naruto out of the village. He was going to set Sasuke up somewhere not too far from the village and let information leak out where he was hidden. He knew that Naruto wouldn't be able to resist the chance to go to Sasuke when he was that close to the village, and he gambled on the idea that we wouldn't be able to keep Naruto from going. Clearly that idea was ruined when Sasuke chose to come back here rather than stay with the Akatsuki."

"Then why did he hide that plan from me?" Sasuke finally asked.

"I would guess because he wasn't yet sure of his control over you. Until he was sure he couldn't implement the plan, and he didn't want you having the memory until he was sure you were going to remain his pawn willingly. As for why he offered the information when he was unsure of your loyalty, I couldn't say."

Sasuke smirked and turned back to the door as he answered. "I probably made him tell me. I didn't believe any of what he told me until he answered quite a few questions. I pulled every bit of information out of that man that I thought I could."

Before anyone could reply, Sasuke stepped out of the room and closed the door quietly behind him. He moved dully through the village, allowing himself a moment to indulge the doubts that filled him. He knew he wouldn't leave Konoha no matter what doubts plagued him, however. The memory of Kakashi's kiss crushed the last of his doubts and made Sasuke move faster. By the time he reached the apartment he was running and panting harshly from the exertion. He hurried through the apartment, looking at nothing. He gathered up his few belongings and left as quickly as he had arrived, running through the village again, not letting himself slow until he'd reached the Uchiha's compound, that familiar arch erasing the demons that seemed to chase him through the village and through his thoughts.

* * *

**AN:** Aside from the kiss scene that I've had in my head since around chapter 5 or so, little of this chapter went as I had it planned. The basic outline is what I pictured, but... it's not quite what I was originally going to write. But, it works for me and I'm happy with it. The differences have to effect on the next chapter. I've already started it and it's going just as I planned.

i am the night angel... there's your kiss. Is it everything you imagined when I told you about it all those weeks ago? lol It's certainly everything I did, and still do. That's got to be my favorite scene. ;)


	23. Chapter 23

Kakashi waited three days. He told himself he was waiting to make sure that no serious repercussions came down on Sasuke for daring to defy the elders by moving back into the Uchiha compound. In his heart he knew he was waiting for Sasuke to come back to him. Once he found himself standing outside of the Uchiha compound, looking up at the fan, the mark of the clan. Sasuke didn't come to him, and he didn't go in. When he turned and left, he spotted Tenzou watching him from a distance. He didn't acknowledge his friend's presence however, just kept walking, decision made.

The hokage was surprised when Kakashi asked to resume missions, but to her credit the woman didn't ask questions, only looked sharply at him, as if reading the reasons herself, then nodded curtly. He left early the next morning, not surprised to find Tenzou waiting for him by the gate. Kakashi smiled behind him mask, putting on his mask of good cheer that he wasn't sure fooled Tenzou. The other man never said a word, only watched him as he approached, then walked past. Once he was through the gate, Kakashi paused and looked back to find his friend watching him. After only a moment's consideration, he found the right words.

"Leave him alone. He needs to come to it himself, or not at all," he said firmly, before turning and jumping into the nearest tree, shoving thoughts of Sasuke aside as he concentrated on the mission before him.

When he returned from the mission a week later, Kakashi found himself taking a longer route than necessary to get to the apartment, passing by the Uchiha compound. He stood in the moonlight, staring into the gate, remembering the last time he'd stood in the moonlight so many months before. In his head he could clearly hear Sasuke's voice: _No matter how hard it gets, I'm not running away ever again. I can't fix things by pretending they aren't there or running away from them._

"If only you'd been able to live up to that promise, Sasuke," he sighed before turning and moving through the silent village.

When he reached the apartment he'd shared with Sasuke until a little over a week previously, Kakashi stood at the door, frowning. He knew it wouldn't be much longer before they'd move him back to his former single ninja apartment. He still wasn't sure how he felt about that. The apartment was so filled with the memories of life lived with Sasuke, many unhappy, but many more happy. Simple things like fighting to see who would get into the bathroom first in the morning and cooking meals together in the small kitchen. So many memories that he was reluctant to let go of, but at the some time, almost afraid to face again. In the back of his mind, Kakashi felt that moving back to his old apartment was the last step in giving up on Sasuke entirely, and he wasn't ready for that.

Lost in thought, Kakashi absently took down his trap and unlocked the apartment door. He stepped in, half expecting Sasuke to come walking down the hall, asking him how his mission had been and promptly informing him that he hadn't decided on whether or not he'd stay, promising to think about it before Kakashi could ask. Shaking his head, Kakashi bent over and removed his shoes. Glancing around the empty apartment, Kakashi forced thoughts of Sasuke aside and started down the hall to the bedroom, unzipping his vest. Sleeping had been difficult after Sasuke left. The silence in the bedroom had been too loud to allow Kakashi to sleep. He'd managed to sleep almost normally again on his missions, but now that he was back, the silence was once more eating at him. While part of him wished that he'd lingered a while longer on his mission, another part of him still chafed at how long he'd been away.

Opening the bedroom door, Kakashi stepped into the room, reaching up to untie his _hitae_-_ate._ Walking across the room, Kakashi dropped the headband on the dresser and began to unstrap and remove his equipment pouches. It took him several minutes to realize that the silence in the room was different. He'd lived with the sound of Sasuke's breathing for nearly a year and had grown inured to it. Standing perfectly still as the sound finally registered, Kakashi listened carefully. The cadence of the breathing was so familiar that he didn't need to look to know that Sasuke was in the room and he wasn't asleep. Turning slowly, Kakashi looked at the spot where Sasuke's small bed had once been, then even slower, he turned his gaze to his own bed.

Sasuke was laying on his stomach, head turned at an angle that had to be uncomfortable so that he could watch Kakashi. Moving haltingly, Kakashi walked across the room and stood at the side of the bed, looking down at the dark haired young man laying in his bed. "Sasuke? What are you doing here?"

"I forgot something," he replied quietly, eyes flashing with his usual intensity even in the dark.

"What's that?" Kakashi asked, slightly confused by the answer.

Pushing up slowly, Sasuke knelt on the bed and looked levelly at Kakashi, drawing a deep breath. "I forgot to tell you that I love you too."

"What did you say?" Kakashi asked, his voice sounding tinny and as if it were coming from some distance away.

"I said I forgot to thank you for everything you did. I felt like an ass, so I came to wait for you to come home."

Kakashi shook his head, clearing away the remnants of imagination that made him hear things Sasuke wasn't saying; things he almost ached to hear him say. He could only stare at Sasuke for a few minutes, memorizing his every feature as if he'd never see him again when he finally left once more. When Sasuke shifted on the bed, looking at him nervously, Kakashi realized how creepy he probably looked standing there staring at him like that. Clearing his throat, Kakashi stepped back away from the bed, then turned away, meaning to leave the room. A thought occurred to him and he stopped in mid-step and turned back to look at Sasuke, frowning.

"Why are you in my bed? Why not wait in the living room?"

"Everything started in your bedroom, I thought maybe it should continue in the same room."

Frowning, Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to understand what Sasuke was implying. After a few moments he gave up and inclined his head forward as he spoke. "Ok, and... what are you planning to continue in my room?"

"My life," Sasuke said simply and he slid to the edge of the bed and stood up.

Frowning harder, Kakashi shook his head. "Sasuke, what are you talking about? Look, normally I wouldn't mind dancing around whatever it is you're trying to keep from saying, but I just got back from a mission and it's the middle of the night. I'm tired. So, just say it already, ok?"

"You said you love me. Did you mean it?"

Kakashi went perfectly still and stared at Sasuke, holding his breath for a moment before he replied, quietly. "Yes, I did."

"I didn't know what to think or feel when you said that. I was confused. Since I was trying to understand the feelings I had for you at the same time.. it was just too much."

"And how _do_ you feel about me, Sasuke?"

"Tch, isn't it obvious?" He grumbled, arms crossing over his chest.

"Maybe to you, Sasuke, but I need to hear it."

"When I left, all I could think about was getting space between me and you. I couldn't think when you were close to me. The distance didn't seem to help. I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about what you'd said. I kept thinking about what it felt like having your lips on mine. I was so annoyed, I was so angry, you were affecting me when you weren't even with me! It took me a while to figure out that the reason I was reacting to you, and have been for a long time now is because I felt the same way you do. I've never been in love before, Kakashi, I didn't know what it felt like. I didn't have a family to explain it to me. I didn't have friends to talk about it with as I grew up. All I had was pain and anger. Those things I understand. What I feel for you, I couldn't understand."

Sasuke paused and sat down on the edge of the bed again, for the first time since he'd started talking, he lifted his head and made full eye-contact with Kakashi. "By the time I understood that what I was feeling was love, you were gone on your mission. I came to the apartment, but you weren't here. When I came out, Yamato was standing outside waiting for me. He told me you'd gone away on a mission and when to expect you back. He gave me this strange look, it was kind of creepy then said, 'For an Uchiha, you're awfully slow on the uptake.' I wanted to punch him, but I resisted the urge and just went back to my family's house in the compound. By the time I got there I figured I deserved his comment.

"I waited for today. I didn't know when you'd come back, so I came early this morning and I've been waiting ever since to tell you that I'm sorry I ran, and I'm sorry it took me so long to figure out this one simple truth: I love you, Kakashi Hatake. If you'll have me, I'd like to move back in here with you. It's kind of lonely by myself in that compound."

Kakashi stood in stunned silence. Sasuke had always been a man of few words, and age hadn't really changed that. To hear such a lengthy speech from him was shocking, but with the additional shocks of Sasuke admitting he was wrong about something and talking freely about how he felt an emotion other than anger, Kakashi found he'd lost his ability to speak. Sasuke watched him, a nervously expectant look on his face. Kakashi opened his mouth, wanting to soothe Sasuke's fears, but the right words wouldn't come to him. Shaking his head, he stepped back over to the edge of the bed and looked down at Sasuke.

"I don't know what to say, Sasuke," he finally admitted weakly.

"If you still feel the same, then don't say anything, just kiss me again."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, and for once, it was a real smile that lit up his face. When he reached up and tugged his mask down, revealing that rare gesture, Sasuke pushed up from the bed and slid arms hesitantly around him. Just before their lips met, sealing the promise of a lifetime worth of love, Sasuke murmured, "Sorry I was the one that was late this time."

Kakashi chuckled at the half-hearted jab and captured Sasuke's lips with his own, feeling the last of a lifetime of misery and loneliness draining away.

* * *

**AN:** This chapter felt like it was a long time coming. And I don't mean the length of time it took me to write the whole story. I actually had to slog through tons of music to find the music my muse wanted for this last chapter. She needed something new (to the story shuffle) and intense. Found that in the form of Skillet. (Oh awesome band, if you don't already know that!) The chapter began to form as I listened to "Don't Wake Me" and started with Sasuke's confession.

_I went to bed I was thinking about you_  
_Ain't the same since I'm living without you_  
_All the memories are getting colder_  
_All the things that I wanna do over_

_I went to bed I was thinking about you_  
_I wanna talk and laugh like we used to_  
_When I see you in my dreams at night_  
_It's so real but it's in my mind_

Oh that song! It's the culprit behind most of Sasuke's confession. Originally it was much shorter. lol Then, the entire chapter was written with Skillet's "Believe" on repeat. Check out the songs guys, they're awesome.

So, this brings us to the end of Absolution. Yep, this is the last chapter. If that wasn't obvious. I adore this story and had an awesome time dreaming it up and writing it. I hope you all had an equally great time reading it! Thank you to everyone that faved, reviewed or just watched the story! That love feeds my muse and makes stories like this come to life for me. See you all next story! ;)_  
_


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